The President's Son
by generalquistis
Summary: Rufus goes off to College to finish his senior year. He hates being guarded all the time by Turks and personal bodyguards, so he requested for only one person to accompany him in school: Sephiroth. What he doesn't know is there's another bodyguard...
1. Chapter 1

The President's Son

By generalquistis

Author's Note: Another product of my weird mind coming from its deepest, darkest recesses. I'll try to make this brief, but if ever it turns out to be as long as the others (God forbid), please forgive me. These hands have a mind of their own and they're being commanded by my subconscious. In case you have plans of reviewing this piece, please, let me remind you, constructive criticism is welcome, but if you are just going to complain or bash this fic, never ever review and just keep it to yourself. Oh yes, this is sort-of an AU, and take heed, it's a RufusxTifa.

oOoOo

In a place known as Midgar, there existed an Electric Power Company called Shinra, owned by the Shinra family; but, not only does the family own an electric company, but they practically own the whole country… plus other countries in the Planet which they conquered through the expansion of their reactors to provide electricity to their citizens.

The President, Mr. Shinra, is already in his fifties, and his wife, Mrs. Shinra is still in her forties, but their business and their family's power are going strong. Mrs. Shinra has always been the kind of woman who stood by her beloved husband's side no matter what happens.

The President and the First Lady had a son whom they named Rufus. Since he is the only heir to their family, he was treasured by his parents and was over-protected to the point of seemingly being too pampered and spoiled. Yet, he never appeared to be pleased in having everything life could ever to him.

Stress had surrounded Rufus ever since before he was born. Being a part of the most powerful and influential family in the Planet has never been easy for him. He was like a Prince, and his parents were the King and Queen. He knows that one day, he would be taking over the Presidency and the ownership of everything his father owns, and he would secretly despise the idea.

Now if you think that he is a helpless incapable heir, well, let's just say he's not. He took self-defense and martial arts as his electives in his elementary school days, while at the same time, learning from the Turks on how to handle guns and use them as his weapon. The young heir did very well in school and he was accelerated several times. When he turned 15, his father knew that he was already capable of handling the Vice-Presidency of the company and the whole country itself. It was added mental torture for the young heir, and balancing schoolwork with his duties in the office was very difficult for him; yet he still tried hard. The young heir, after all, had an obsessive-compulsive behavior of being perfect all the time, especially on his work.

But there was a point in Rufus's life wherein work became a priority than his studies, and he blamed it on his father. His father had to pull him out of school just when he was about to enter his senior year in an exclusive university in Junon where he was taking up a degree in BS Business Administration with a major in Marketing and a minor in E-Commerce. He was only 17 when that happened.

When Rufus turned 21, his father lessened his workload, and with the help of his mother's persuasion, President Shinra allowed him to go back to school and finish his final year in college.

The President had a farewell party for his son on a Monday evening before Rufus leaves for Junon the next day.

Socializing with other people with whom he isn't familiar with was not Rufus's cup of tea so during the party, he just stayed in one corner with his small circle of friends consisting of Sephiroth, Cloud and Zack, who also happen to be his personal bodyguards, assigned by his father.

"Leaving for Junon again for quite some time again." Sephiroth said, sighing heavily before looking at his glass of wine. "This red wine is nasty. Don't you have any beer?" he asked Rufus.

"You know they don't serve that here." Rufus said.

"You want beer? Go someplace else. This is a fancy-shmansy party." Zack pointed out to Sephiroth.

"Maybe later after this party. Who's coming with me?" Sephiroth asked excitedly.

"Have to sleep and get up early tomorrow." Zack told him.

"Rufus?" Sephiroth asked, turning to his friend.

Rufus frowned slightly. "No." he answered.

"You're asking the wrong person." Zack told Sephiroth.

Sephiroth grunted before turning to Cloud, "Hey, what's eating you? You haven't been speaking ever since we got here!" he told him.

Cloud just continued to stare at something, and when his three friends followed the trail of his gaze, it led to a pretty young lady with long wavy hair brown hair and green eyes wearing a silk pink cocktail dress and a white frilly cardigan.

Rufus raised an eyebrow. "Aerith Gainsborough. Daughter of one of our scientists here. Her mother is friends with my mother." He said.

"Why is she here? How come I haven't seen her here before?" Cloud asked in a low voice.

"Because you're always hanging around me and I avoid her." Rufus answered simply.

Zack, on the other hand, was gaping at the other young lady speaking to Aerith. "And who's with her?" he asked with a smile on his face.

Rufus turned to the other girl. "Blimey. Don't tell me you like her?" he asked in disbelief.

"What's wrong with her?" Zack asked.

"She's Wutaian royalty. Yuffie Kisaragi. Daughter of Lord Godo, one of my father's friends. She's spoiled and conceited. You won't like her." Rufus warned.

"Well I do." Zack said before excusing himself from his friends and went over to the girl with short brown hair wearing a dark green dress.

"I can't believe he went for her." Rufus muttered.

"Well, maybe you don't like her attitude, but Zack likes 'em rugged. Haha." Sephiroth kidded. "It's back to school again for you tomorrow, how do you feel about that?" he asked.

Rufus looked away from Zack who was already citing a pick-up line on Yuffie. "Relieved, maybe, because for once again in my life, I belong to the same age group as my graduating class." He told him light-heartedly.

"What's so bad about being younger or older than your batch?" Sephiroth asked.

"It just feels awkward. I was 10 when I began my high school junior year and I was the shortest." Rufus muttered before gulping down the contents of the wine glass that he was holding.

"Easy on the drink, kiddo." Sephiroth joked.

Rufus eyed him warningly before turning to Cloud. "For crying out loud, Strife, if you're going to make a move, better do it now." He said, interrupting Cloud's trance.

Cloud Strife turned to him, his blue eyes wide in surprise. "…easier said than done." He told Rufus.

"Would you like me to introduce you to her?" Rufus asked rather impatiently.

Cloud could feel his cheeks flushing. "No! No, thank you." He said.

"For crying out loud, you've been eyeing her ever since you became a SOLDIER!" Sephiroth snapped at him.

Cloud smiled quite dreamily. "No. Actually… ever since childhood…" he said softly.

Rufus turned to Sephiroth with a disgusted look on his face. "Alright, game plan for tomorrow and for the rest of my stay in senior year, please, avoid trailing behind me all the time. I only need one bodyguard." He said.

"One?" Sephiroth asked.

"But you have the three of us!" Cloud pointed out, his attention completely shifting from Aerith back to Rufus.

"Your father pointed out that the three of us should accompany you everywhere you go in campus." Sephiroth told Rufus.

"Well I only need one. I can defend myself anyway. Besides," Rufus flipped his hair. "Who would even dare harm me?" he asked rather airily.

"Everyone who wants to end your family's legacy. Those are your assassins." Sephiroth pointed out.

"That's bull crap. They can't do that." Rufus said.

"That's what you think. There are many rebels out there who would want you dead." Sephiroth said.

But Rufus would not listen. He did not want too many bodyguards following him around in school because it made him feel helpless and very important. He did not want too much attention from people, and having bodyguards surround him all the time whenever he's away from Shinra premises made everyone look at him, when all he wanted to happen sometimes was to blend in with the crowd; something that hasn't happened before in his lifetime. He knew that if he wanted things to go his way, he would have to go straight to the source of the problem: his father.

Excusing himself from Sephiroth and Cloud, he began to look for his father who was in the same ballroom socializing with friends. "Typically I'd find him where most of the old men are…" Rufus thought to himself while searching for a certain location: by the bar. "Splendid." He smirked upon seeing his father socializing with his businessmen friends.

As he approached, his father's friends were the first ones to notice him coming. "Your son, Shinra." One of them announced to the President.

President Shinra turned his attention to his son. "Hello, sonny boy! Where's your mother?" he asked in a jolly manner.

"You seem happy." Rufus said rather sarcastically before getting straight to the point, "Father, I'd like to have just one bodyguard following me around in campus." He said.

"That I cannot allow." President Shinra said, his face turning serious before turning back to his friends and smiled again. "Anyway, as I was saying," he began.

Rufus dragged his father away from his friends for a moment while saying in a low whisper, "Old man, I am serious. I'm 21, I am capable of defending myself; I am basically a grown man. Wouldn't it be embarrassing if people will think that I am incapable of standing up for myself at this age?" he asked.

"Sonny boy, where are your manners? I was talking to my friends!" President Shinra protested in annoyance.

"Listen to me!" Rufus snapped with a stern tone.

President Shinra eyed his son carefully.

Mrs. Shinra approached them with a concerned look on her face. "Is there a problem, dear?" she asked her husband.

"Our son here wants me to lessen his security once he goes back to school tomorrow." President Shinra answered.

"Mother, I believe I am old enough and also capable enough to make that decision. Wouldn't it be embarrassing in my case if people will think that I am still incapable of standing up for myself at this age?" Rufus reasoned, looking into his mother's dark brown eyes.

Mrs. Shinra thought for a while as she took a deep breath. She turned her attention to her husband. "Dear, I think Rufus is right." She decided.

"What?" President Shinra exclaimed in disbelief. "Dear, I'm only concerned about the safety of our son! Why should I lessen his security…" he began to reason.

"He's 21 and we did not allow him to take those self-defense lessons and teach him how to fire a shotgun and not even find some use for those." She said before turning to her son. She smiled. "But you're taking Sephiroth with you." She told him gently.

Rufus kept a straight face, but deep inside, he was relieved. "Thank you, mother." He said before turning his attention to his father. "Thank you, Old Man." He said in sarcasm before walking away from them to go back to Cloud and Sephiroth.

President Shinra grunted. "What's on your mind?" he asked his wife.

Mrs. Shinra smiled.

He looked at her with a serious look on her face. "Seriously, dear, I think you just made the worst decision ever." He told her.

"No, I didn't." she answered before turning around to make eye-contact with a couple dressed in simple party clothes standing in one corner of the room.

The couple smiled at Mrs. Shinra before bowing their heads in greeting to the President.

President Shinra wondered who those two were and then turned his attention back to his wife. "Your friends?" he asked. "How come I haven't seen them around in other social gatherings we've held?" he added, feeling suspicious.

"Old childhood friends of mine from my hometown. I'm just helping them out." She answered. "Come, dear, I'll introduce you to them so that you wouldn't be worrying so much about Rufus anymore." She said, taking his hand and leading him to the couple.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

oOoOo

The next day, Rufus Shinra got down from the chopper with Sephiroth trailing behind him. It was exactly 7:30 in the morning when they arrived in the Shinra HQ in Junon.

"We just arrived here. Everything's secure. His class is at 9. We'll be leaving by 8:30." Sephiroth was telling the main HQ situated in Midgar through a call to his father, the leader of the Turks, Vincent Valentine.

"That's nice. I've already given the Turks there their itinerary for today. According to instruction, they'll just remain there and not follow you and Rufus to school." Vincent told his son.

"Yeah, yeah. I know. I'll just remind them." Sephiroth said.

Meanwhile, Rufus was going over his class schedule in his mobile phone's organizer. "6 units; that's 2 subjects every Wednesday and Friday, and just 3 units which makes 1 subject on Tuesdays and Thursdays. I have Mondays off." He was thinking to himself as he made his way to his bedroom.

As he entered, he turned back to Sephiroth who was still talking to Vincent.

"Please stay outside." Rufus told him.

Sephiroth stopped in his tracks, realizing that he had followed Rufus all the way to his bedroom. "Oops. Sorry. Mwahaha." He laughed before leaving the room.

Rufus shut the door and sighed heavily before turning around to look around his room. "Hello my old room." He said softly before walking to the window to relish the view of Junon Bay.

He preferred Junon over Midgar because of the sea. Life also seemed to be quieter there despite the heavy work he would be sometimes required to do by his father. "But for this remaining year in school, there's no work for me." He thought with a satisfied smile on his face. Yet he could feel that he would be making little adjustments because he was so used to sitting in front of his computer or having his laptop beside him and checking the stocks every now and then while typing and computing numbers and endless documents and press releases. With that, he went to his closet to pick out his school uniform and changed.

For the rest of the hour, he just sat by his window staring at the sea and the clear blue skies, until 8:30 when Sephiroth interrupted the solemnity of the moment by knocking rather loudly on the door and calling out, "Hey, blondie! Time to go!"

Rufus was obviously startled but he kept a straight face. It was typical of Sephiroth to do that and he knew it, but he could never get used to his brusque behavior of treating him like one of his SOLDIERs. "Blimey! Keep it down!" Rufus snapped impatiently as he grabbed his laptop and his books. As he got outside his room, Sephiroth was about to offer to carry his things for him, but he declined. "No. I can practically carry my own stuff." he told him stiffly.

Sephiroth blinked. "Sure." He said, moving away.

He followed Rufus to the garage. "You're driving?" he asked.

"Yes." Rufus answered.

"I think it would be best if I drove." Sephiroth said.

"You just want a chance to drive my convertible. No." Rufus said with a sly smile on his face.

"Why would I even want to do that? I have my own back in Midgar." Sephiroth said.

"Because mine is white and automatic, while yours is dark green and manual. Haha." Rufus said mockingly.

Sephiroth frowned at him. "I know you hate my favorite color…" he muttered.

"No, really, I think I should drive. Do you want to look like a nanny?" Rufus asked with a sarcastic air.

They finally reached the garage.

"Well, come to think of it, I am qualified to be a nanny." Sephiroth told him with a funny smile on his face.

Standing by Rufus's white convertible was a female Turk with long light brown hair tied up in a very high ponytail. She was holding his car keys. "All set, sir." She told Rufus as threw the keys over at Sephiroth.

Sephiroth caught the keys with his right hand. "Thanks, babe." He said with his dashing debonair wink.

The female Turk frowned at him. "Ugh." She said, rolling her eyes as she flipped her hair and walked away.

Rufus followed her with his gaze. "Thank you, Jillian." He called out.

"Bash his head for me, will ya, Rufus?" she called out before exiting the garage.

"Aw… she likes me!" Sephiroth said dreamily before handing over the keys to Rufus.

"How do you know that?" Rufus asked as he placed his books and laptop on the back seat and went over to the driver's side.

Sephiroth sat down on the front passenger seat. "I just do." He said with a smirk.

"You think so highly of yourself. That girl is a socialite from Mideel." Rufus told him.

"Well then why did he enter the Shinra Military Academy and decided to become a Turk after training in SOLDIER?" Sephiroth asked, rolling his eyes. "It means she likes me. I was her higher-up when she was in training." He said proudly with a smile on his face.

Rufus started the engine "Well you're not her boss anymore. It's your dad." He pointed out. And then it dawned him. "Oh, so that's why whenever she's in the main HQ, you would constantly hang out in your dad's office so that you can see her!" he realized.

Sephiroth just smiled slyly. "Hell yeah." He said proudly.

"You're absurd." Rufus muttered as he stepped on the gas pedal.

"And she works for you so won't you help me with her?" Sephiroth asked.

"Since when did you start needing my help when it comes to women like her?" Rufus asked with a frown on his face. "Just be careful though. She likes to be the center of attention. She's a daddy's girl and she's an only child…" he began.

"That's no problem. I can handle it. Mwahah. You seem to know much about her," Sephiroth realized.

"Her mother is friends with mine. We met when we were children, but she's three years older than me." Rufus answered.

"Ah, so that's why you let her get away with calling you by your first name!" Sephiroth said.

Rufus just flipped his hair. "I don't really mind the Turks calling me by my first name." he answered.

The flow of traffic was light and in 15 minutes, they reached Rufus's school. He parked in his usual spot with his name on it.

"I thought you wanted you wanted to live a 'normal' life? What's with this special parking space with your name on it?" Sephiroth asked mockingly.

"I can't help it. Parking spaces are precious." Rufus said with a smirk as he raked his fingers through his hair before switching off the engine. "You may stay outside my classroom." He told Sephiroth.

"Sure. Whatever. But don't whine when bullies attack you." Sephiroth told him sarcastically.

"Don't be ridiculous. They'll never dare bully me." Rufus answered while they were walking to his classroom.

"Oh. Right. I forgot that you were the bully." Sephiroth said, rolling his eyes.

Rufus just kept quiet, reflecting on what he last mentioned. No one dared to neither bully him nor befriend him, except for those bold enough to try to catch his attention… which would succeed in only a matter of seconds before Rufus starts to ignore them completely.

As he made his way to the classrooms, students and professors alike were staring at him as he passed by. No one even bothered to greet him; all they could do was to stare in awe and wonder at the young Shinra heir.

Upon reaching his classroom, Sephiroth stepped away from him. "I'll see you later." He said.

Rufus just went inside and as he did so, everyone turned to look at him. The professor was not yet there but 10 students were already inside and seated in their proper places while chatting with one another; yet they all stopped talking when Rufus Shinra entered the room.

Rufus kept a straight face, not even bothering to greet his new classmates, as he made his way to a vacant seat at the front-center. He was always the type of student to sit in the front.

Upon settling down, he turned around to check on the faces of his classmates, checking if one of them is an undercover Turk or if any Turk was present in the area. He inhaled slowly and clenched his jaw upon realizing that he was on his own in that classroom with his classmates and not a single Turk around… except maybe for the First Class SOLDIER General who is situated outside the classroom. "But bloody hell, he's outside! This is freedom… well, in a way, it is…" Rufus was thinking victoriously.

Majority of his classmates were boys, and there were only 3 girls. He could tell that they were talking about him in whispers and murmurs, but he just tried not to care. He should be used to it by then.

His thoughts were interrupted when the door opened and a young lady with long black hair and light brown eyes entered. "Oh good! I thought I'm late for the first day!" she said in a chipper manner that made Rufus cringe a little. For some reason, overly-happy and optimistic people made him feel annoyed, but he decided to stay quiet about it. As for this girl who just entered, something in her eyes made Rufus think that her displayed optimism is just for the moment upon realizing that she was not late for class. It made him calm down somehow.

"Hi," she greeted her classmates with a kind smile on her face.

The others just stared at her.

She frowned slightly and sat down beside Rufus where the only vacant seat left was stationed to his left. "Geez. People here are so crabby…" she muttered miserably.

Rufus eyed her through his peripheral vision but he did not say anything.

In 5 minutes, the professor arrived. It was an old man with messy white hair and he was wearing a blue suit. "Well, looks like we have two new students here," was the first thing he said upon reaching his table and looking at his class record. "Mr. Rufus Shinra and… Miss Tifa Lockhart." He announced the names.

"I'm not really new here, sir. I just came back from a _long vacation_." Rufus answered with a sly smile on his face.

The professor eyed him carefully. "Oh yes. The Shinra kid. Stand up and reintroduce yourself." He instructed.

Rufus frowned slightly. "Is this really necessary?" he asked rather airily.

"Yes." The professor answered simply as he sat down.

Rufus slowly got up and once he did so, he stood up straight, keeping his hands on his sides and spoke up in a poised manner, "My name is Rufus Shinra. I was originally from 6 previous batches but I was pulled out because I had some work to do for my old man in Midgar." He began.

Silence.

"Where are you from, where did you graduate from high school, what are your parents' occupations?" the professor asked glumly.

Silence.

"Is this really necessary?" Rufus blurted out. Those information being asked of him by the professor could be read in newspapers… or maybe the professor does not even know what a newspaper is.

"It's considered standard procedure for professors in this school to ask those questions." The professor answered with a serious look on his face, seemingly unimpressed.

"Good. This means he won't give me any special treatment." Rufus thought silently while keeping a straight face. "I'm from Sector 1, Midgar. I graduated from Midgar International School. My father is the President of the Shinra Electric Power Company, my mother works for charity and she sponsors fund-raising projects for the unfortunate." He explained.

"Remain standing. Miss Lockhart, your turn." The professor said.

Tifa got up with a smile on her face. "I'm Tifa Lockhart… but you can all call me Tifa. I'm from Nibelheim; I was born and raised there. My father is a businessman; my mother is a housewife. I graduated from St. Catherine School for Girls in Nibelheim, then I spent my college years in Nibelheim State University from freshman to junior year, then I transferred here for senior year." She explained.

"Why transfer here?" one of her classmates chimed in.

"Yeah, it's your last year." Another one stated.

"…Well… I had the opportunity to transfer and study here so I took the chance. Besides, it's a change of environment and culture for me." She said.

"Isn't Nibelheim a provincial town?" one of the girls asked rather airily.

"Well… yes…" Tifa answered, not feeling intimidated by the girl.

"Not really," Rufus answered as he turned around to look at the girl. "Since my family basically owns the town now, even if you think that provincial means underdeveloped, it has been one of the most beautiful towns in the Planet." He said. He was completely aware of the discrimination of the rich high-society people against provincial poor towns like Nibelheim. He simply disliked those people and he wondered how he could stand being around them in that school. "My company is helping them cope, providing them with modern technology and helping them for a better life." He added before flipping his hair and turned to Tifa. "Isn't that right, Miss Lockhart?" he asked.

She just looked up at him awe. Her ego being saved by a seemingly-arrogant rich boy was not really in her dreams as a young lady, but she still smiled at him and nodded.

The professor smiled nonchalantly at the two. "Take your seat." He instructed before getting up and began to write on the whiteboard. "For today, we are going to discuss…" he began to blab.

Tifa smiled kindly at Rufus. "Thank you," she said softly.

Rufus just kept quiet, pretending to have heard her. He was silently scolding himself. "Look what you've done. Now she's going to expect you to save her from the others who would want to degrade and discriminate her just because she's from Nibelheim…"

"Your final project will be a business proposal. I want all of you to find partners and work with them starting today on planning your business proposal because your final grade in this class will determine whether the council will allow you to graduate or not. Remember that if you fail this class, you'll have to repeat the whole thing. Anyway as I was saying about this project, you…" the professor continued to talk about the project.

"This is going to be a snap. I'm used to making business proposals." Rufus was thinking, satisfied with himself.

"Your business must be something regarding food, beverage, clothing or technology." The professor rambled on.

"What?" Rufus was the first one to react. Those mentioned was nothing in the line of his usual business proposals.

"Is something the matter, Mister Shinra?" the professor asked, crossing his arms.

Rufus did not want to embarrass himself by saying that he was thinking of doing a business proposal regarding a vacation inn in Costa del Sol. He deemed it would be embarrassing because it might make his classmates and his professor think that he is not creative and flexible enough to make a business plan other than what he has in mind. "Pardon me, could you repeat the last one? I was writing it down…" he fibbed.

"Technology." The professor told him.

Rufus nodded, trying to act casual. "Thank you, sir." He said before writing it down.

The professor finished his explanation on the project for the next 30 minutes before finally telling his class to look for partners and then write their names as pairs on paper and hand it to him by the end of the class.

Rufus and Tifa did not move. Both of them did not want to pair themselves up with the other members of the class, thinking that their other classmates are too snooty for them. Besides, their snooty classmates have already paired up amongst themselves.

She then turned her attention to him, smiling rather shyly at him. "Would you like to pair up with me?" she asked.

He stiffened. Nobody has asked him that before. She sure has guts. "I was actually about to propose the idea of working alone to the professor but since you asked… sure." He answered, crossing his arms. But he was not looking at her.

With that, she got a piece of paper and wrote their names on it. She got up and handed the paper to the professor. "Here you go, sir." She said cheerfully before going back to Rufus and sat down on her seat again. "So, what are you planning to do?" she asked.

He did not answer.

She moved her face closer to his ear to whisper something. "I was thinking of a bar." She revealed.

Rufus turned his attention to her. He felt awkward when he realized that their faces were only an inch away from each other. He moved away from her. "A bar?" he asked, trying to act naturally.

She nodded with a smile on her face. "I've always wanted to put up a bar as a business." She said.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

oOoOo

After their last class for the day, which ended around 12 noon, Rufus had to ask for Tifa's mobile number just in case he would think of contacting her regarding their project.

After exchanging numbers, the two parted, with Tifa watching Rufus as he walked away with Sephiroth. She had a faint smile on her face as she did so, and when he and Sephiroth finally descended the stairs, she turned away to walk going to the opposite direction. She decided to do some touring around the campus by herself. Trying not to mind the curious stares coming from the other students as she passed by, she tried to act as naturally and as calmly as possible. "They're all staring at you because you're new and you've been spotted with Rufus." She was telling herself quietly.

Aside from noticing that the food was too expensive in the cafeteria and that all classrooms were airconditioned and each student desk has electrical sockets where they can plug their laptops, she also noticed that the students and the professors all have this snobbish air around them. "I guess I can't make too much friends in this place…" she thought with a pout before turning to her mobile phone upon feeling that it was vibrating inside her bag. She got it and checked the caller ID. She blinked and answered it. "Yes?"

oOoOo

"Where do you want to have lunch?" Rufus asked Sephiroth as he drove out of the school campus.

"What? Hey, you should've asked that question to your new friend." Sephiroth told him with a sly smile on his face.

"She's not a friend. I'm just working with her for a major project. She's a transferee from Nibelheim which makes her really stand out among the rich snobbish crowd." Rufus answered.

"I think it's nice that she's from Nibelheim. How do you think she's different from all the other chicks in your class?" Sephiroth asked, smirking.

"She's nicer, she's not arrogant, and she seems to be so innocent about a lot of things about wealth and money." Rufus answered. "Would you believe she hasn't been to Midgar before?" he asked.

"Well, not everyone can afford to go to Midgar…" Sephiroth said.

"But she's smart, that's why I've decided to work with her in that project anyway." Rufus said.

Sephiroth was about to say something but he was interrupted when his mobile phone began to ring again. He answered it with a gruff tone. "Yes?"

Rufus wondered who it was but did not bother to ask anything as he continued to drive going to a seafood restaurant by the bay.

Sephiroth just smirked and then hung up after a few minutes.

"That was a fruitful conversation." Rufus remarked sarcastically

"It's just my dad telling me to watch over you. Mwahahaha." Sephiroth laughed.

Rufus cringed. "Blimey. I wonder why I'm so precious to everyone." He said with a sarcastic tone.

"You're the only heir to Shinra, man. That's what makes you precious." Sephiroth told him.

"So that's my only purpose in life that's why everyone's fussing about my safety? Bloody hell." Rufus remarked in annoyance.

Sephiroth just kept quiet as Rufus made his way to the restaurant's parking lot. He could not tell Rufus what Vincent had told him: death threats had been received in Shinra HQ in Midgar regarding the young heir.

After lunch, the two decided to have some coffee in a coffee shop just a block away from the restaurant where they ate their lunch. While driving to that coffee shop, Rufus spotted Tifa who was walking on the sidewalk going towards the opposite direction. He slowed down and honked.

She turned to his direction just as he sounded the car horn and swerved carefully by her side and put the car into a complete stop. "Where are you going?" he asked her.

"Home." She answered, smiling.

"Where are you staying?" Sephiroth asked.

"Junon Mansions. My stay there is being sponsored too." she answered.

Rufus raised his eyebrows. "Whoever is sponsoring you must have so much money in their hands." He remarked with an amused tone. He was aware that that condominium has the most expensive units in Junon.

She just smiled. "Er… yeah." She said softly.

"Care to join us?" Sephiroth chimed in. Rufus's eyes widened when he heard his friend say that.

She raised her eyebrows as her eyes widened a little. "Uhm… no, thank you." She answered.

Silence.

Rufus cleared his throat. "Alright then. I guess we'd better get going. I'll see you tomorrow in school." He told her before zooming away.

Tifa turned around and followed his car with her gaze. She had a slight smile on her even as she bowed down her head and proceeded to leave.

Meanwhile, Sephiroth had been teasing Rufus about turning red in front of Tifa.

oOoOo

Later that evening, Rufus was seated on his bed with his laptop and marketing books by his side. He has been doing advanced reading and reviewing for his classes ever since he arrived home that afternoon.

While in the middle of reading tips on putting up a restaurant on the internet, his mobile phone rang. Interrupted, he frowned as he picked it up from his bedside table and checked the caller ID before answering. "Yes?"

"_Hey, how are you doing?"_

Rufus blinked. "I wonder why you're calling me." He muttered with a sarcastic tone.

Then his door opened and Sephiroth stepped inside with his mobile phone against his ear and laughing. Rufus ended the call. "You wasted airtime for a useless call." He told his friend. Then he noticed that his friend's left cheek is red.

Sephiroth shut the door and placed his mobile phone in his pocket. "Just checking on you." He said as he plopped down on Rufus's bed. "Aaah. I envy your luxury." He said, minding the softness of the cushion.

Rufus eyed him in disgust. "Get your filthy boots off my bed! I just had maintenance change the sheets!" he told his friend in annoyance.

Sephiroth got up. "I didn't notice. You always have white sheets. Your room's like a freakin' asylum or something." He told Rufus.

"Well I like white." Rufus stated flatly. "And I can tell you're bored. Why don't you bother Jillian or something? I'm studying." He told him.

Sephiroth smirked. "I just did and she slapped my face." He told him with a silly smile on his face.

"Figures." Rufus muttered, looking away from the redness of Sephiroth's left cheek.

"And aside from that, I want you to turn on the TV and watch the news." Sephiroth told him.

"I can't watch the news. I'll just read the newspapers in the morning." Rufus muttered mindlessly as he continued to read write-ups on bars and restaurants. "Or maybe you can summarize the news to me? I'm sure you've seen them." He decided.

"Alright. On channel 7, they are discussing your first day of school. It turns out that after you left school today, reporters were inside the Dean's office, interviewing school officials and your professors." Sephiroth told him.

"At least they didn't attack me in the middle of the hallway and do an ambush interview." Rufus answered.

"And I also wonder what those newscasters on other TV stations are thinking because they're discussing about your future." Sephiroth continued.

"They're bored." Rufus muttered.

"Come on, aren't you the least bit bothered by what they're saying about you?" Sephiroth asked.

"I've no time for those." Rufus answered half-heartedly. Just then, his mobile phone's message alert tone sounded. He flipped it open and found one SMS. He read the message. "_Hello, Rufus. It's Tifa. Do you happen to have the readings for our marketing class?_"

Rufus blinked before deciding to call her instead. She answered after the second ring. "Hello, Rufus. Sorry if I disturbed you…" she said.

"No, it's alright, Tifa. But yes, I have the readings. It's in my laptop though. I can email them to you. Just text me your email address." He told her.

"Alright. Thank you, Rufus." She said.

"Oh, by the way, Tifa, would you like to meet up tomorrow after our class? I'd like to discuss our project." He told her.

"Sure. No problem. I'll see you tomorrow then." She said before hanging up.

Rufus put down his mobile phone and turned to Sephiroth. "Stop nudging me!" he snapped impatiently.

"Mwahahah!" Sephiroth just laughed at him.

oOoOo

They only have one class every Tuesdays and Thursdays, and it starts at 9:00am up to 10:30am.

After class, just as they were on their way out of the classroom to meet with Sephiroth, a group of girls went ahead of them and turned to face them as they totally blocked the doorway.

Rufus kept a straight face but Tifa eyed the girls suspiciously. She seemed to have acted a little defensive and Rufus and Sephiroth noticed it.

The group of girls had three members in it and two of them had blonde hair while the one in the middle (whom Tifa had assumed to be their leader) had red hair. "Like, hello, Mr. Shinra." The redhead greeted with a wink.

Rufus neither moved nor mentioned a word. He just stared at the redhead coldly.

"We would like to invite you to our sorority party on Friday night." The redhead said, handing a pink scented invitation to Rufus.

Rufus hated the smell of the invitation; it smelled like cheap perfume and his first reaction was to cringe and fan the air before his nose. "No, thank you, ladies. I have to do some important things." He said as he took a step backward.

"But it's going to be a fun party!" one of the blondes told him with a flirty voice.

Tifa stepped forward, "Pardon me, ladies, I'm sure you can understand simple English? Rufus says he has other things to do." She told them sternly.

"Oh, if it isn't the poor girl from the province." The redhead said mockingly. The two blondes laughed together with her.

Sephiroth felt like he was watching a chick flick where the popular girls make fun of the good girl, but he did not say anything.

"Well at least I was raised in the right manner by my parents." Tifa answered haughtily.

The three girls stopped laughing at her and eyed her, feeling insulted. The redhead snorted. "We were definitely not raised in a pigsty compared to you, so what do you have to say about that, huh?" she asked.

Tifa's eyes widened, but before she could say anything, Rufus grabbed her wrist.

"Let us through." He said sternly.

The three girls slowly moved aside, sensing the sudden anger from Rufus, although his face remained stoic. With that, he and Tifa walked away from the three with Sephiroth following after them.

"Feels like high school, huh?" Sephiroth asked Rufus and Tifa.

"Those girls have no breeding no matter how rich they claim themselves to be." Tifa muttered miserably.

Sephiroth snickered. "Rufus, you should definitely invite Tifa to one of your dad's big socialite parties." He told him.

"Whatever for?" Rufus inquired.

Sephiroth just looked up with a smug look on his face.

"And I'm surprised you still remain courteous to those disgusting females." Tifa told Rufus with a frustrated look on her face.

"It's for his _image_." Sephiroth told her.

"What image?" she asked with a confused look on her face. "I don't get it." She told them.

"I am the son of the President. One day, I'll become President and I'll have to deal with more people like those. I can't just lose my temper every now and then or avoid those sorts of people. As much as possible, I have to be courteous and respect everyone even if I don't particularly like them." Rufus explained with a low voice.

"Well that sucks. If you can't express yourself to those people, what's the point of being real?" she asked.

Rufus did not answer. He just kept on walking with her and Sephiroth to the parking lot.

He remained silent even as he drove to the coffee shop where he and Tifa could have their discussion regarding their projects away from the nosey people in their school.

When they arrived at the coffee shop, Rufus requested Sephiroth to order for them while he and Tifa look for seats. He handed him 1,000 Gil before proceeding to a secluded area with couches and a big glass window with a view of the Junon Bay. It was like an exclusive area where Rufus would regularly spend his time in whenever he is in that coffee shop.

As the two settled, sitting on opposite couches facing each other while he plugged in his laptop on the electrical socket available by the floor and she was just staring at him, wondering what was on his mind.

While waiting for his operating system to load, Rufus leaned back on his couch and rested his elbows on the armrest. "Do you want the answer to your question earlier?" he asked.

Tifa was surprised. She thought it never really bothered him, but it turned out that Rufus had been thinking of the answer ever since she asked the question.

He eyed her carefully. He wondered why he felt so drawn to this girl whom he had just met yesterday. Still, he tried to be nice to her. "In the world where I grew up, I was taught to be plastic at times if it means maintaining good relationships with those people, even though obviously, those people were being plastic too." he told her.

She was quiet, her eyes wide and they looked like she had something more to ask, but before she could, he interrupted her flow of thought, "You're a smart girl. I know you understand." He told her.

She held her breath for a moment as she watched him turn his gaze back to the screen of his laptop. Lowering her gaze to her lap, she clenched her fists. She still could not comprehend the logic behind being fake towards people.

"You hate those kind of people, I know. I do too." he told her, interrupting her thoughts.

She looked at him again with a surprised look.

Sephiroth arrived carrying a tray with three slices of chocolate cake just before she could comment. "I do hope you're not on a diet." He told Tifa with a smirk.

She eyed the cake and blinked. "Oh, no, I'm not. Don't worry." She said lightheartedly.

Sephiroth placed the tray on the table. "Well that's good; otherwise, Rufus will end up eating your share. Mwahahaha. Anyway, I'll get our drinks." He said before leaving again.

Rufus eyed his friend in annoyance before looking at Tifa when he heard her say, "You're best friends, aren't you?" she asked.

Rufus smiled slightly as he turned back to his laptop and began to navigate through his files. "I've known him ever since I was a little boy. He's older than me though." He paused for a moment to count in his head. "…around 10 years." He continued.

"How old are you anyway?" she asked.

"21." He answered simply.

"You mean he's 31? He doesn't seem like it." She exclaimed in awe.

He smirked, wondering how Sephiroth would react if he was there. "It's his lifestyle, his JENOVA cells and his exposure to Mako." He explained.

"Are you kids talking about me?" Sephiroth asked, barging in with a tray of their mocha frappes.

"You're too paranoid." Rufus remarked coldly.

Tifa just smiled softly and proceeded to read her notes. She now has three projects to do with Rufus as her partner.

"So, Tifa, you're from Nibelheim, right?" Sephiroth asked, interrupting her.

She looked at him curiously. "Uhm… yes." She answered.

He took a sip of his own drink. "Rufus's mom was born and raised there. The Shinras even had a mansion built there." He said.

"Yes, I'm completely aware of that. It's just a couple of blocks away from my house." She answered.

"What's your point on telling her that, Sephiroth?" Rufus asked airily.

"Nothing, I was just trying to strike up a conversation with your new friend because you're too quiet and all you ever talk about with her is _business_. It's beginning to bore me listening to you blab away about how money grows and how to make it abundant!" Sephiroth answered with a mocking tone.

Rufus smirked at Tifa. "Forgive Sephiroth over here, for he doesn't know when to stop talking sometimes." He told her.

She chuckled lightly. "I noticed that." she said jokingly.

Sephiroth's left eyebrow twitched but he just ignored the remark. "Anyway, got any boyfriend, Tifa?" he asked, wanting to change the subject.

Tifa shook her head. "Like, no." she answered simply.

"Oh that's too bad. Rufus doesn't have a boyfriend either." Sephiroth pointed out with a mean smile on his face.

"What does that supposed to mean?" Rufus demanded in annoyance, eyeing Sephiroth angrily.

Sephiroth laughed at him. "I was just joking!" he said.

Rufus snorted and turned back to his work.

"And what's so bad about not having a boyfriend?" Tifa asked, eyeing Sephiroth.

"I was _kidding_." Sephiroth repeated.

Silence.

"Oh. Alright." Tifa muttered. She hated it when people expected her to have a boyfriend.

Sephiroth began to eat his cake. "When's your birthday, Tifa?" he asked.

"…May 3rd." she answered half-heartedly, wondering what's on his mind all of a sudden.

"No wonder the two of you are so serious! You're both earth signs!" Sephiroth realized.

"Since when did you get interested in astrology?" Rufus asked with a ridiculous look on his face.

"Ever since I got bored waiting for you class after class. I had to read something and the only book available lying around was a book on astrology in the Lost and Found area." Sephiroth answered with a grunt.

"I never knew a man like you could be interested in astrology." Tifa told him with a slight smile on her face, meaning to make fun of him.

"You'll be surprised what other interests the Great General Sephiroth has…" Rufus muttered.

"You two are really ganging up on me, huh?" Sephiroth asked airily.

Rufus and Tifa just exchanged discreet smiles.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

oOoOo

By the end of the first semester, Rufus Shinra did not expect to become friends with, of all people, Tifa Lockhart. He blamed it on becoming partners with her on almost all their projects and school activities.

When the sem-break arrived, Rufus had to go home to Midgar and spend the three-week vacation there because his father said so. Before the day he left, he and Tifa met up at the coffee shop where they usually hang out to study and have their discussion about their projects.

"I see." Was all she said when he told her of his plans to go to Midgar for the sem-break.

"And you, you're going back to Nibelheim?" he inquired while reviewing their half-done business plan.

"Er… yes." She answered simply with a smile on her face.

Rufus was quiet for a moment before turning to Sephiroth who was just approaching them. He has been in outside the coffee shop for 10 minutes taking instructions from Vincent Valentine on security measures to be taken during Rufus's travel back to Midgar.

"It turns out that when you return tomorrow, you'll have a welcoming party." Sephiroth revealed.

Rufus frowned, his lips forming a pout. "Blimey." He muttered before looking away.

Tifa smiled softly. "A socialite party, huh?" she asked. Hanging out with Rufus most of the time has made her realize how his whole personality works—his likes and dislikes, what he enjoys doing, the way his mind works. What other people has found so difficult to do has become so much easy for her just because she has won his affection and trust. Yet, she knows that there are still things that she must never ever tell Rufus about herself, although tempted at time, she would be reminded of what she has to do and how she must function around him.

"Your partner here hates those gatherings." Sephiroth pointed out to her.

Rufus just took a deep breath and began to make corrections and additions to what he and Tifa had already started working on ever since the first day of school. "Actually, I find those gatherings amusing now because maybe I can watch people and study their behavior." He told his friend.

"Since when did you start having interests in psycho-analyzing people?" Sephiroth asked as he sat down on the couch next to Rufus's.

Rufus just smirked, not bothering to answer his friend's question. Instead, he turned his attention to Tifa. "Would you like to come along with me to Midgar?" he asked.

Tifa and Sephiroth were both surprised by the inquiry. "Are you serious?" the latter asked in shock.

"I'm not talking to you." Rufus muttered to him even as he kept his eyes on Tifa.

Tifa had forgotten to breathe for a few seconds upon hearing that question and when she did remember to inhale, she did it in a long and careful manner. "…why?" she asked. She could not think a good response.

Rufus grunted, looking away from her and turning back to his laptop. "I just thought I'd take you to Midgar and show you around since you stated that you haven't been there before. Besides, I would like my parents and my other friends to meet you." He said casually.

Sephiroth was fighting the urge to smirk and tease Rufus about asking Tifa to go with him back to Midgar. He just got up and excused himself, saying that he would be buying himself a glass of iced café latté.

Tifa cleared her throat quite uncomfortably. "What for, Rufus?" she asked.

He began to pretend to type something since she could not see what's on the screen anyway. He was beginning to feel restless and was beginning to regret the fact that Sephiroth had left him there to deal with asking her to go with him on his own. "I just thought it would be a splendid idea to show you Midgar and to introduce you to new people who can be future prospects for your business sponsors. Besides, we need to scout locations in all Sectors of Midgar to find the perfect spot where we can build the bar. We have to be as realistic with this business proposal as possible." he reasoned, trying to sound like nothing is bothering him. But he did not wait for an answer anymore; he proceeded, "We'll be leaving tomorrow 7 in the morning. I'll have one of the Turks pick you up from your place by 6:30."

She was surprised by his decision. He did not even wait for her answer. She did not know how to contradict him or to refuse him because somehow, she still wanted to go with him. She could not admit to herself, however, that she had really grown fond of him in those months that they have been together. She did not even expect herself to be friends with someone like him. She always believed that all rich people are too snobby and mean, but she realized that Rufus was different.

Sephiroth returned with his drink.

"Oh there you are, Sephiroth. Tell Jillian that she has to fetch Tifa tomorrow morning at 6:30. She'll be coming with us to Midgar." Rufus instructed.

"Really? Where is she going to stay there if she's going to vacation there with you?" Sephiroth asked.

"Uhm…" Rufus uttered. Sephiroth and Tifa noticed that he hardly ever does that, and when he did, they exchanged discreet glances, realizing that he was suddenly uncomfortable.

Rufus Shinra cleared his throat. "She can stay in the HQ. We have a lot of rooms." He decided.

Tifa just bowed down her head.

"Whatever you say, boss." Sephiroth told him before turning to Tifa. "As for you, shall I inform your parents that you are spending your break with the President's son?" he asked her with a sly smile on his face.

She took a deep breath. "No, I'll inform them myself." She decided.

"My mother will be taking her vacation in Nibelheim if I'm not mistaken. It's in her plans. So you don't have to worry about not being able to see your parents during the break. You'll come with us then." Rufus told her as he began to flip through the pages of a marketing book.

Tifa and Sephiroth exchanged glances. She looked a little disturbed, as if she wanted to say something to him, but he just pursed his lips and frowned at her before turning away. She just bowed down her head.

oOoOo

As soon as Tifa arrived in her condo unit that evening, she went straight to her answering machine to check the messages.

"_You have 1 new message. Message 1, received at 3:15pm_…" the machine beeped and Tifa braced herself for the message. "_Hello, Tifa, this is Vincent."_ She heard the caller say.

Tifa swallowed hard, frowning slightly.

"_I've been informed that you're coming with Rufus here tomorrow. I'd like you to give me a call so that I can give you your instructions."_ Vincent proceeded.

The machine spoke up again. "_End of message_."

Tifa switched it off and began to search for her mobile phone inside her bag when she heard it ringing. Upon finding it, she immediately answered it, "Hello?"

"_Did you receive my message? I'm surprised you weren't home by 3:15_ _yet today._" Vincent told her.

"Yes, sir, I did. I'm sorry if I just heard it now. Rufus and I spent the whole afternoon working on our project." She answered with a weak smile on her face.

"_Well anyway, I just took the initiative to call you because I still have tons to do here to prepare for his arrival tomorrow. As for you, make sure he doesn't get mobbed by the paparazzi or the media or any other sort of people until you reach HQ. Did anything happen today?_" he asked.

Tifa began to recall the events of the day. "Nothing much. He got mobbed by freshmen today, and while on our way to the coffee shop, paparazzi was following. But not to worry though, Mr. Valentine, Sephiroth and I were able to handle the problem." She told him.

"_That's nice. But are you aware that you're being discussed in the news already?"_ he inquired.

Tifa's eyes narrowed. "Yes, I'm completely aware of that." she answered. She knew it was bound to happen since she is always seen with Rufus.

"_I know it can be annoying, but you have to get used to it_." Vincent told her. "_Just make sure Rufus doesn't suspect a thing about what you're assigned to do._" He said.

"What if he finds out?" she asked with a worried tone. "I'm sure he'll get mad at me because it's going to be like, I betrayed his trust. He wanted only one bodyguard, but he doesn't realize that there are two!" she exclaimed.

"_That is why you have to be more careful. You can't risk this. I have to go now. I'll see you tomorrow._" Vincent hung up.

Tifa took a deep breath and shuddered as she exhaled before deciding to use the telephone to make a call to Nibelheim.

When somebody answered from the other line, she smiled softly. "Daddy?"

"_Tifa!_ _It's a surprise you called._" Mr. Lockhart told his daughter.

"Well, yes. Uhm…" Tifa stammered.

"_How's Rufus?_" her father asked in a chipper manner.

Tifa was surprised by the question. "He's… doing well, really." She answered.

Mr. Lockhart was quiet for a moment before speaking up again, "_You don't sound too happy about your job there, Tifa_."

Tifa was caught off-guard by the question. "Well… I…" she stammered.

"_You don't have to continue if you don't want to. Your mother and I can talk to Mrs. Shinra about this…"_ he began.

"N…no, dad. It's fine. I'm doing well. I… I have to do this for you and mommy…" she lowered her gaze to the ground. "And for Rufus as well…" she was thinking to herself.

"_You worry too much about us, Tifa_." He pointed out.

Tifa chuckled lightly. "It means I'm a very loving daughter!" she kidded. "No, really, daddy, I'm alright. I can do this. Besides, I have to finish my studies if I want to be able to help you and mommy." She told him reassuringly.

"_Well if that's the case… I just hope that you're really happy. But I have to go now because I have to get up early tomorrow to go take the early ship to Midgar. Your mother and I will be at Rufus's welcoming party so I'll just see you tomorrow."_ He told her.

"That's great!" she said with a cheerful tone. "Anyway, see you tomorrow, daddy." She said before hanging up.

She inhaled sharply and the smile on her face faded away. "… I can do this…" she decided. "Besides, the reason why I agreed to do this bodyguard work is to be able to finally finish my studies in a reputable school and so that the First Lady can help my family…" she thought sadly.

oOoOo

President Shinra was in his office the next day when General Heidegger informed him of his son's arrival from Junon. On his way to the helipad on the rooftop, he saw his wife going ahead of him. "Dear, there you are!" he called out.

Mrs. Shinra turned to her husband with an excited smile on her face. "Oh darling, I'm so thrilled to see our baby boy again!" she said happily.

"You know if he heard you refer to him as a _baby_, he'll get angry. Now don't go calling him names in front of his girlfriend." President Shinra warned her sternly.

She giggled. "I won't, dear." She said happily as they both went upstairs to the rooftop. They could hear the sound of the helicopter's engine and once they arrived at the rooftop, the chopper has just finished landing.

The whole area was well-guarded with SOLDIERs and Turks.

When Rufus finally got down from the chopper, President Shinra immediately walked up to his son and gave him a hug. "Sonny boy!" he cried out in happiness.

Rufus cringed. Getting hugged by his parents in public makes him feel embarrassed.

"Oh, Rufus, we're so happy you're home!" his mother said, joining in the embrace.

Tifa Lockhart got down from the chopper.

Mrs. Shinra and President Shinra simultaneously turned their attention to the young lady wearing a white sundress with light blue flowers as its print, a blue denim jacket and white heeled sandals. Mrs. Shinra smiled at her. "And what a lovely young lady you are," she said cheerfully.

Tifa blushed by the comment.

Rufus moved away from his parents and stepped backward to Tifa's side. "This is Tifa Lockhart, the girl I've been telling you about. She is my partner in my school projects since we're classmates and we basically have the same schedule." He explained with a sly smile on his face. Tifa could not see his smile because she was looking at the First Lady and the President while smiling brightly at them; however, Sephiroth and the First Couple plus the other Turks surrounding the area could see that Rufus is very proud of her.

"It's a pleasure to finally meet you, Tifa. You don't mind me calling you by your first name, do you?" The President asked, offering a handshake.

Tifa eagerly shook the President's hand. "No, not at all, your Excellency." She said quite shyly. She then turned to the First Lady as the woman embraced her.

"Dearie, I'm so glad to meet you." Mrs. Shinra said cheerfully.

Tifa was stunned by the First Lady's action. "I'm also… glad to meet you too, ma'am." She stammered, feeling embarrassed.

"Alright, mother, that's enough. You're suffocating her." Rufus jokingly told his mother.

Mrs. Shinra laughed lightheartedly. "Oh Rufus, darling. I'm just glad to finally meet your girlfriend." She said sweetly to her son.

Rufus and Tifa's eyes widened upon what the First Lady said.

President Shinra smiled and patted his son's shoulder. "Sonny boy, I'm glad you finally found the right woman for you. She's perfect!" he said proudly.

Rufus regained his composure and cleared his throat. "Er… father, she's… not my girlfriend." He began.

Silence.

"Oh." Mrs. Shinra said softly.

President Shinra blinked and took a deep breath. "Well then… what is she?" he asked.

"I told you she's my partner in school. We work together with projects." Rufus explained with a frown on his face.

Tifa swallowed hard as she observed the suddenly-glum looks on the First Couple's faces.

President Shinra cleared his throat. "I see…" he said before turning away. "Your party will be tonight at 7 in ballroom A. It's formal." He said as he walked away, going back inside the building.

Mrs. Shinra eyed her husband before turning back to Tifa and Rufus. "Oh forgive him. He's really like that. Such a drama king." She said apologetically before looking warningly at her son.

Rufus wondered why his mother was suddenly eyeing him in that manner, but he just shrugged it off. "Excuse us. We still haven't had our breakfast yet and we would like to go sight-seeing around the City." He told his mother as he took Tifa's hand and led the way inside the building.

"Right now?" Mrs. Shinra asked in awe.

"Yes, mother." He answered sternly.

Mrs. Shinra looked at Tifa before turning to Sephiroth. "Call on Cloud and Zack. The three of you will join them." She told him.

"Yes, ma'am." Sephiroth answered before walking after Rufus and Tifa.

Rufus frowned. He was planning to spend the day with Tifa around Midgar without any bodyguards, and now Sephiroth, Cloud and Zack are going to join him. He felt ticked off. His grip on Tifa's hand tightened. "Let's run." He muttered to her.

She was surprised. "What?" she asked softly.

He led the way, dragging her with him.

Sephiroth's eyes widened. Rufus had always been quick, and he took Sephiroth by surprise by just darting off like that. He was so surprised that he was not even sure whether the young heir took the elevator or the emergency stairs, but when he decided to go with the emergency stairs, he realized that he lost them. "Damn…" he muttered before proceeding to the nearest floor to take the elevator from there to the lobby, thinking that maybe the two already went down there.

oOoOo

Rufus shut and locked his bedroom door as soon as he and Tifa had made it inside.

She was panting hard, trying to catch her breath. "Well, that was uncalled for." She remarked.

He took a deep breath. "I'm sorry if it was sudden. I'm just sick of having bodyguards around me all the time." He told her.

"I do believe it's for your own protection, Rufus." She told him sternly.

"And suddenly you're acting like my mother." He pointed out bluntly as he turned to face her. "I promised you _I _will tour you around the city." He said, stressing the singular pronoun.

Tifa's breathing slowly returned to normal as she stared into his blue eyes. He looked too serious. She smiled slightly. "Whatever you say. You're the boss." She said to him. Then she noticed that he was still holding her hand. She was about to inform him about it but he let go of her already before she could even tell him about it.

"You have sunglasses with you, don't you?" he asked as he went to his dresser and opened one of his drawers to grab his own pair of sunglasses.

Tifa nodded. "Well… yes." She said.

"The key here is not to be recognized by the public." He began as he put on his sunglasses. He faced her and smirked. "How do I look?" he asked proudly.

She chuckled lightly before getting her sunglasses from her bag and put them on. "You still lack something." She told him as she approached him and began to mess up his hair.

"What the bloody hell are you…" Rufus began as he tried to withdraw his head from her hands.

She stopped and smiled victoriously. "Now no one will recognize you." She said.

Rufus touched his hair and turned to the mirror to check it. It was not gelled back anymore. He thought he looked different.

"That should make other people think that it's not Rufus Shinra when you pass by." She said, crossing her arms.

He smiled as he raked his fingers through his bangs. "Well… I could get used to this." He said before taking her hand. "Let's go." He said.

"Wait, there could be hidden cameras in the hallway…" she told him.

"That's why we're going to pass through the hidden stairs." He told her as he led her to his closet.

She was stunned. "You have a hidden staircase?" she asked.

"The master bedroom has one too. It's for emergencies that require the safety of the First Family. This leads to a garage where we can easily use one of the vehicles to escape." He said.

"That sounds complicated." She told him as he opened a door behind his clothes.

"After you," he said, urging her to go first.

oOoOo

Sephiroth saw from the window of the Turk office a black car exiting from the area where the hidden garage is located.

"I knew it." Vincent Valentine remarked.

Sephiroth frowned. "Are we going to follow them, ma'am?" he asked, turning to the First Lady who was standing behind him.

Mrs. Shinra had a confident but serious look on her face. "No need to, Sephiroth. I trust Tifa in her job protecting Rufus." She decided.

oOoOo

Tifa could not help but gape at the sight of tall buildings and wide city streets. "I can't believe I'm actually here in Midgar…" she said with a look of amazement on her face. She and Rufus had taken their sunglasses off upon getting inside the car.

Rufus was quiet, listening to the song on playing from one of the CDs already inside the player of the car he was driving while thinking how lucky he is to find the keys to that car. No one would expect that a Shinra would own such a vehicle because it didn't have the family seal on the bumper and it had bumper stickers on the trunk. It looked like the type of car an ordinary upper-middle class citizen of Midgar would be driving; even the windows weren't darkly tinted to hide the passengers and the driver inside. He had been used to automatic cars, like his convertible in Junon and his other expensive car parked in the main garage of the Shinra HQ in Midgar, but this car that he was driving was manual; yet he refused to let Tifa know that he was having a hard time with the clutch. He still maintained his usual poker-faced look. Tifa, on the other hand was too busy sight-seeing and observing the city life to notice, but at the beginning of the ride from when they departed from the HQ, she noticed that he forgot to step on the clutch when he attempted to shift gears.

"Have you actually seen every single part of Midgar?" she asked curiously.

"My parents don't know, but I have seen the lower Sectors and have been in it." Rufus said.

"But… those are just the lower Sectors." She told him.

"Yes, but the real city in action can be witnessed in those areas… that's why I wonder why nobody bothers to tour those areas, especially the slums." He answered.

She smiled. "And how did you manage to go there?" she asked.

"Thanks to Sephiroth, Cloud and Zack." He answered.

She raised her eyebrows. "Cloud?" she asked.

"Yes. Why, you know him?" he asked. Then he recalled that his friend Cloud Strife grew up in Nibelheim.

"Sort of. He and his mother moved to Nibelheim from here. He was so young back then, around 4 or 5." She explained, shrugging.

"I see. And he became your childhood sweetheart?" Rufus asked her with a low uninterested tone.

She laughed. "Bloody no, he didn't. We were teased but I didn't exactly like him because he was plain weird. I mean, with that spiky hair and that quiet nature of his. The other boys hated him for it." She recalled.

Rufus looked at her when he had to stop because of the red light, observing the look in her eyes. "Really?" he probed, eyeing her probingly.

Tifa's smile faded, wondering why his defenses were suddenly up.

He looked away from her when he noticed the green light. The car moved forward and they were soon in the highway leading to Sector 7. "Let's start with the lowest Sector first." He told her.

She was quiet for a few moments before taking a deep breath and then exhaled slowly. She smiled faintly, keeping her eyes on the road. "He never liked me anyway. I was one of those kids who used to dislike him. Besides, he liked my best friend." She explained.

Now she caught his attention. "Who?" he asked.

"She's from this city, but since her father is a doctor and a scientist for Shinra, there was a time when he was assigned to work in Nibelheim. Their family stayed in the most expensive apartment in my hometown and everyone adored her because she was rich and beautiful. I thought she was one of those stuck-up rich snobs, but I was surprised that I became her only friend when we went to the same school." She said.

He smirked. "Splendid. So you know Aerith." He remarked.

She looked at him in surprise. "You know her?" she asked in awe. Then she laughed. "Oh yes, how could it slip my mind? Of course you'd know her. Her father works for your company, and she's a rich girl. Silly me…" she said, hitting her own head in a playful manner.

"I knew her since childhood. I understand why she became friends with you; she is simply _lovable_ according to witness accounts." He said, being sarcastic with the adjective.

She did not notice the sarcasm and even took it seriously. "She is very nice. I don't know why we became friends… we just clicked, I guess. Like you and I, actually." She said proudly.

Rufus clenched his jaw to prevent himself from smiling. "So we _are_ friends?" he asked.

She eyed him carefully. "Well we are, right? I mean, we've been together for quite sometime… we hang out together and we discuss a lot of things and we have so much in common!" she told him.

"So that's how you generalize people to find out when you can call them _friend_." He pointed out.

She could sense a debate coming, but she kept calm. "Maybe yes, those are some points. But I'll never know, because for me, it just comes naturally when I feel close to a person." She told him.

"What if you just _feel close_ to the person but the person doesn't feel close to you?" he asked.

She frowned, crossing her arms. "Why? Don't you feel close to me after all we've gone through?" she demanded rather haughtily.

Rufus's eyes widened a little and he hid his sudden embarrassment with a dry laugh. "That's really funny." He said.

Tifa looked away from him, feeling frustrated. "Well fine. If you don't want to be my friend…" she muttered, deciding to just keep her gaze outside the window.

Rufus was quiet for a moment as he slowed down and parked the car by a small building at the Wall Market in Sector 5. "We'll park here and we'll walk around." He decided.

She pouted. She thought it was typical for Rufus not to apologize and explain himself after wronging another person. It was one of the hardest realities she had to accept during the beginning of her relationship with him even as a classmate. She stepped out of the car after putting on her sunglasses.

Rufus put on his own pair of sunglasses before going to Tifa's side and they began to walk together.

She was looking around the area. "Looks like a much commercialized place." She said.

"This is the Wall Market located in Sector 5. Think of anything under the sun, you can buy it here from various stores." He told her.

She looked up for a moment. "Hmm… like snake heads barbecued?" she asked.

"In a Wutaian or a Gongagan restaurant just around here, you'll be able to eat those." He explained.

She made a face. "Gross." She said, cringing.

He smiled slightly upon seeing her crinkle her nose when she cringed.

They continued to walk around Sector 5. Rufus amused himself by observing people and at the same time, observing Tifa's reactions to different things around that are new to her in the city.

The two continued to walk around Sectors 4, 5, 6 and 7, with Rufus acting like a tour guide and explaining various things and situations new to Tifa. As for her, she listened and paid attention carefully to what he told her about each Sector.

It was past noontime when they finished with the three sectors and were walking back to the Wall Market. "Midgar is basically a small city made up of layers… think of a pie with different layers of flavor. Used to be, you can't see the skies in Sector 7. But I made my old man do something about it with the urban development plan I assisted the Head of Urban Development in making. That place also used to house the slums, but our hard work paid off." Rufus explained.

"It is small?" she asked, not being able to notice completely.

"You won't notice how small it is when you're in Sectors 1, 2 and 3. In Sector 4, you can basically see everything from top to bottom." He explained.

"But… there are still some poor people. I've noticed them in Sectors 6 and 7." She said.

"We are doing everything we can to help them. We've already implemented an open-door policy and gave importance to social responsibility. I don't know if it's still our fault that there are some poor people, but I believe that it's also their responsibility to work. Here in Midgar, if you don't work, you don't get paid. If you're lazy, you can't survive here." He told her.

She smiled slightly. "Looks like it." She said before turning to her right to observe the people in stores and in front of their houses, doing their daily routines.

He lowered his gaze to the ground. "When I become President, I'll have more room for improvement around here." He said in a low tone audible enough for only Tifa to hear and understand.

She looked at him again, but she was disappointed that she could not see through his sunglasses covering his eyes.

He had a serious look on his face. "I'll do anything in my power to make the Planet a better place." He told her.

She looked at him curiously, surprised that he was confiding in her. She smiled and looked away. "I'm sure you'd make a great President. But don't pressure yourself too much. There's no such thing as perfection." She said softly.

He still kept a straight face even as they finally reached the car. "Now let's have our lunch in Sector1 and from there, we'll walk to Sectors 2 and 3, then we'll go back to Sector 1." He said.

She nodded. "Alright." She said as she opened the door to the front passenger seat and got in. She had been overwhelmed by the sights and sounds of the city that she forgot how hungry she was already until Rufus mentioned the word _lunch_.

oOoOo

The two decided to have lunch in one of the most expensive seafood restaurants at the Sector 1 Commercial Center, the most expensive mall in Midgar. Tifa felt out-of-place in that area; she felt like she was back in their school again in Junon because of the snobby atmosphere she felt upon entering. It was like wherever she and Rufus passed by (even with sunglasses on), they would have to endure constant stares from the upper-class people lounging and shopping.

"Is our disguise still working?" she whispered to Rufus after the waiter had left their table to process their orders.

"I'm not sure, but I do hope it's still working. I can see paparazzi lurking around…" he muttered, trying to look like nothing is wrong.

Tifa discreetly turned to her side and saw cameramen outside the store and also inside, taking pictures of other rich people within the area. "But we're going to have to act like nothing is wrong and that we're not bothered by those. Otherwise, it will be dangerous." She told him.

Rufus just took a deep breath. "So, how do you find Sector 1 so far?" he asked.

"…too… rich. If you know what I mean. I envy you because you're so used to this kind of atmosphere already." She said in amazement.

He smiled slyly as he shook his head. "No, unfortunately, I'm not." He admitted.

She laughed. "Really now? You've been surrounded by wealth all your life and you're not used to these kinds of surroundings?" she asked with a grin.

"I'm more down-to-earth than what people perceive me to be." He answered proudly as he flipped his hair.

She giggled. "Oh really?" she asked sarcastically, meaning to tease him. She has always been amused whenever he flipped his hair. She thought it was cute.

Rufus noticed that she was blushing and wondered why. Yet he did not ask her about it.

Just then, a group of young ladies approached them with a smile on his face. "Uh… excuse me, sir," one of the girls began.

Rufus turned his attention to the girl who asked.

"Are you Rufus Shinra?" she asked.

Rufus looked away. "No." he answered simply, completely changing his accent.

Tifa fought the urge to laugh when he spoke in a weird accent foreign to his own. She just bit her lower lip and looked away.

One of the girls eyed her curiously. "Like, never mind. Rufus doesn't have a girlfriend."

"But you look like him," another girl chimed in to Rufus.

"I just look like him but that doesn't mean that I am him. And how dare you compare me to that ugly bastard. Scoot!" Rufus snapped angrily.

The girls jumped up in surprise because of his temper.

"Like, oh my gawd. What a mean guy." One of the girls said.

"Yeah. Let's go." The girls finally left.

"That was close." Rufus muttered to Tifa, returning his accent to his original one.

She snickered. "That was a good way to disguise yourself. Great accent by the way." She remarked, teasing him.

He smirked, proud of himself. "It's how the people in Costa del Sol speak in English." He told her.

"Costa del Sol?" she asked, amused.

"Don't tell me you haven't been to that lovely place?" he asked, keeping a straight face.

She shook her head. "No. Have you forgotten that I'm not as lucky as you are?" she asked sarcastically.

He laughed. "Not to worry, I'll take you to Costa if you want to." He told her.

She blushed. This time she felt her cheeks getting warmer, "What? No, never you mind. Thank you." She told him.

He frowned. He hated it when people refused his offers. "Why?" he asked.

"It's too much! I mean, you already went through the trouble taking me here in Midgar with you and even bothering to tour me around. I don't even know how to repay you for your time." She said, feeling embarrassed.

He smiled slightly. "Stop thinking of such things. You've never been trouble to me." He said.

Finally, their orders arrived.

They continued to talk about various things that interested them even throughout their lunch. Afterwards, when it was time to pay the bill, Rufus began to flip through his credit cards.

Tifa's eyes widened upon realizing that credit cards have their owner's name on them. "Uhm…" she began, interrupting him.

"Yes?" he asked mindlessly, but his attention was still on his credit cards. He could not make up his mind on which one to use.

Tifa frowned before turning to the waiter. "We'll pay in cash." She told him.

Rufus froze and looked at her. "What?" he asked.

She just kept quiet, hoping that he was reflecting on why she said that.

He breathed in and hid his credit cards again before picking out 2,500 Gil from his wallet, for their orders totaled to 2,400 Gil. He was thankful that he has extra cash. He got up. "Keep the change." He told the waiter before taking Tifa's hand and they both exited quickly.

Still, people stared at them wondering if they are celebrities because they were wearing sunglasses even inside the mall.

"You almost got careless back there." Tifa pointed out to him as they began to walk casually towards the exit of the mall.

Rufus felt his face flushing but he didn't say anything.

Then just as they were about to reach the exit, two children were chasing each other and one of them bumped against Rufus, causing his sunglasses to slip off and fall to the floor.

"Oops, sorry, sir." One of the boys apologized before running off again.

Rufus grunted. "Blimey. The last time I checked, this isn't the playground." He said sarcastically before bending down to pick up his shades, but just as he got it, he froze when he heard someone screaming from somewhere, "Oh my gawd! It's Rufus!"

"Shit!" Rufus muttered before putting his sunglasses back on just as flashes from random cameras began to appear in various places. Fangirls also began to run towards him.

"Come on, no time to linger around here." Tifa said as she grabbed his wrist and dragged him with her.

He wondered how she could run so fast in those heeled sandals… and those weren't ordinary heels; they were stilettos. He took over the lead, knowing that she would not know where to go from the mall's main exit.

They kept on running until they managed to reach the streets of Sector 2 and found a dark alley where they could hide. As soon as they settled, they realized the distance that they ran all the way from the mall to that alley. "That was totally uncalled for…" she remarked while trying to catch her breath.

"Indeed." He answered, panting a little. Yet he smiled, "I haven't ran like that outside of Physical Education class." He said lightheartedly.

She chuckled lightly. "Well I'm glad you feel invigorated." She remarked before looking up at the tall buildings to her left and right, causing the darkness in that alley. "Where are we?" she asked.

"It's Sector 2." He explained.

"Oh." She said. "So where are we going now?" she asked.

He began to think. "I don't now…" he answered.

"It's going to be difficult walking around the city now that people have recognized you in that attire…" she told him.

He nodded. "You're right." He muttered, frowning in frustration.

Tifa began to think. "Hmm… I think I know what else we can do…" she said before grabbing Rufus's white blazer and forced him to remove it. "Take it off now." She said rather sternly.

He blushed. "But why?" he demanded.

"You have to. If you don't want to get recognized." She said as she finally got it off of his body. "Now tie it around your waist." She told him.

He just obeyed.

Tifa began to rummage through her bag and found her huge handkerchief. "Oh. Goodie! I brought along the most boyish handkerchief I have!" she said victoriously.

Rufus eyed the blue handkerchief. "Why do you have a manly-looking handkerchief anyway?" he asked.

"It's my father's. I accidentally borrowed it." She explained before spreading it and then folding it again in a triangle. "Take off your sunglasses." She instructed.

He did so. "What are you doing?" he asked curiously.

She began to wrap the handkerchief around his head like a bandanna covering the whole top of his head and tying it behind his head. Next, she grabbed his sunglasses and placed it on top of his head like a headband. "There you go!" she instructed.

"I feel silly!" he remarked in annoyance.

"You'll feel sillier when rabid fangirls and paparazzi chase you around when you're looking like how you usually look. Be thankful you're wearing a blue polo today underneath that blazer." She told him in a nagging manner, which surprisingly, he did not seem to mind.

Rufus crossed his arms. "And what are you going to do with yourself?" he asked.

She removed her sunglasses, put it back into her bag and then began to tie her hair up in a high ponytail with a rubber band before proceeding to button up her denim jacket. "There you go." She said sweetly before taking a deep breath. "So what do you think?" she asked, turning around.

"How come I look ridiculous and you don't?" he muttered miserably.

She laughed. "Oh don't be ridiculous. It's just a disguise! It's for the purpose of not having the paparazzi and your rabid fans stalking you." She said.

"I just hope your ridiculous plan works." He said. "Now we look like an odd couple! It's like we're portraying a classless man and a high-society woman dating." He muttered.

"Exactly what I had in mind! I'm glad you understand!" she said sweetly before taking his hand. "Now, shall we?" she asked.

He shrugged. "Fine." He said, pulling away from her and hooking his arm with hers instead. "But this is more convincing." He decided.

She smiled, shrugging. "Whatever you say." She said, rolling her eyes as they began to walk out of the alley.

When they reached the streets, Rufus was surprised that they were able to blend in with the rest of the crowd and nobody even bothered to take a second look at them except for a few people curious about their odd combination and his current clothes.

"Blimey. If the paparazzi could recognize me for some unfortunate reason and then they'll take pictures of me, I'd be in the _Worst Dressed_ of the _Midgar_ _Fashion Weekly_ magazine." Rufus muttered to Tifa with a ridiculous smile on his face.

She just giggled. "I can assure you of your safety from the paparazzi, just don't act like your usual self if people question you about your identity." She told him reassuringly with a wink.

"Well just so you know I got A-pluses in my Theater Classes." He told her proudly with a smirk.

"I never knew you're into theater." She said in amazement.

"I took Theater as my electives in high school and even in the university level." He answered simply with a proud smile on his face.

While walking around Sector 2, they continued to discuss about their other interests in school. When they reached Sector 3, Rufus led her to the area where he knew an old abandoned two-storey building was located.

"Here we go. The main reason for taking you here in Sector 3." He began.

"Why did you bring me here?" she asked, eyeing the building with a ridiculous look on her face.

He eyed her carefully, "This is where we're going to put up your bar." He told her.

Her eyes widened. "But… Rufus, it's just a business proposal!" she reminded him.

He looked away, eyeing the building with a serious look on his face. "I've always been accustomed to having my business proposals a reality. So far no one has turned any of my business proposals down, even my father's clients like them. Are you going to be the first one to reject my idea?" he asked rather haughtily.

She breathed in. She did not really like the way he spoke to her when he said that, but she was having a dilemma in her mind. "Darn. I know I need to make that business a reality so that I can help my mother and father… but I don't want his help with this otherwise, I'd be obliged to repay him someday for even bothering to help someone like me. And what if he finds out that I'm just… not what he thought I am?" she thought silently, feeling so confused. She shrugged at him and smiled weakly, "Well, there will always be a first time for everything!" she answered weakly.

He frowned at her. "Well I can never accept that." he told her bluntly.

She was taken aback.

He looked away and eyed the building again. "I've already devised a plan in my head. Am I just going to throw everything away?" he demanded, feeling frustrated.

Tifa felt her heart sink. She did not mean to crush his ego like that. "Well, it's just a school project, nothing more. I didn't tell you to make it into a reality." She said softly.

"Well if it meant nothing to you, it meant a lot to me." He said before letting her go and walked away.

She was immobile for a moment before realizing that he was already far from her. She ran after him, recalling that she had a duty to do. She stopped running when she was able to catch up and synchronized her walking speed with his. "Alright, I'm sorry for crushing your ego back there. I just don't want you to go into so much trouble for something irrelevant to your family's business." She explained.

He did not respond. Instead, he kept a straight face as they continued to walk. "Where would you like to go next? Would you like me to take you to the Midgar National Museum?" he asked with a sarcastic tone.

She clenched her fists, about to answer sarcastically to his last remark, but she stopped herself when she realized that three thugs blocked their way.

"Well, if it isn't a pretty little socialite and her boyfriend with a strange fashion sense here in Sector 3! Tell me kiddies, are you lost?" one of the thugs insulted.

Tifa and Rufus eyed the three, observing that they were armed with knives and explosives and that they were all dressed in black leather clothes.

"Isn't it a wonder that the three of you have the nerve to attempt to attack two socialites in broad daylight in a public place such as Sector 3?" Rufus asked with a sarcastic air to his tone even if his facial expression remained stoic. Tifa nudged him slightly; a warning for him not to provoke the anger of the thugs, otherwise, the two of them could get into serious trouble. But he did not care. "Out of our way. Can't you see we're on a date?" he demanded from the three.

"Aha. Too brave, huh? Trying to score from your girlfriend?" one of the thugs teased.

"But unfortunately, we won't let you pass until you give us some money or let us borrow one of your ATM cards or sumthin'." The other one said.

Rufus was quiet for a while, shoving his hands inside the pockets of his trousers. "No." he said.

Tifa swallowed hard.

Rufus sighed impatiently. "Look, this is cliché… have you guys been watching too much action movies?" he asked airily from the thugs.

"Are you insulting us?" the biggest one of the thugs decided to finally make a move to attack by trying to punch Rufus's face, but he was stopped by Tifa, blocking his fist with the palm of her right hand. The thugs were surprised by her sudden action, so was Rufus.

Tifa kneed the crotch of the thug and while he was crouching in agony, she punched him and kicked him to the ground.

The two other thugs, not taken aback for what she did, decided to attack her, throwing punches and kicks at her. They attacked simultaneously while Tifa tried her best to fight back while avoiding their attacks once in a while.

Rufus just watched calmly, eyeing Tifa with amusement in his blue eyes. The passersby and the other people around the area began to watch the action going on in the middle of the sidewalk.

Rufus saw the biggest of the thugs (the one that Tifa attacked first) finally get up, recovering completely from her kicks and punches. That big man went behind Tifa and grabbed her two hands, twisting them behind her back. She cried out in pain.

The two other thugs stopped attacking her and cheered for their boss.

"Now, young lady, are you going to give us your cash?" the boss demanded from her.

"That is enough," Rufus snapped angrily as he pulled out a gun from his pocket and aimed at the boss and immediately fired at his crotch.

The boss yelped in pain, releasing Tifa in the process. She faced him and kicked his chest hard enough to make him fall backward.

A SOLDIER patrol car arrived. Two SOLDIERs got down from the vehicle and went to the scene. "So, what have we here?" one of them asked, eyeing the thugs.

The two other thugs were already beaten up badly by Tifa in the first place that's why they were not able to make another move against her. They just surrendered.

"Oye. These bad people are interrupting my date with my gurl, ya?" Rufus answered, speaking with another accent foreign to his.

Tifa felt amused with him.

The SOLDIER asking questions approached Rufus while the other one arrested the three. "Is that gun even licensed, sir?" he asked, snatching the gun from Rufus's grasp and began to examine it.

Rufus just eyed the SOLDIER with a poker-faced expression on his face. He waited until the SOLDIER made a surprised reaction and looked at him again. Rufus smiled at him and moved closer, murmuring, "Tell you what. Don't say a word to anyone about who I really am and you and your partner are on your way to a salary raise and a possible promotion. Now do me a favor and arrest these hooligans."

The SOLDIER's eyes widened and nodded discreetly.

With that, Rufus moved away, getting his gun again and putting it back inside his pocket before approaching Tifa. He took her hand. "Let's go." He said softly, leading the way back to Sector 2.

She blinked, wondering what he did back there. "They let you go that easily?" she asked in amazement.

He just smiled slyly. "Do you have a gown for tonight's party already?" he asked, not even bothering to answer her question.

"…no," she answered weakly.

"Splendid! Let's buy one for you." He said. Anything to get her mind out of the situation with the thugs.

She felt her face getting pale. "…What?" she asked weakly with a trembling voice.

"You heard me." He told her.

Then, a pink convertible passed by them, slowed down and stopped. The female driver honked at them and pulled off her sunglasses, eyeing them with a cheery smile on her face. "I could spot childhood friends from a mile, you know." She said.

Tifa was surprised upon being able to recognize the brown-haired girl in braids wearing a pink frilly top and a white prairie skirt, while Rufus made an annoyed face. "Aerith!" Tifa exclaimed.

"I can't believe you were able to tell who we are." Rufus said in exasperation.

Aerith giggled. "I always knew you had a bad sense of fashion to begin with because you're always wearing white." She teased.

He clenched his jaw, preventing himself from saying something harsh in return. "Blimey." Was all he could respond, looking away. "And what are you doing in this side of town?" he asked, rolling his eyes.

"I did some charity work in the Sector 6 Church the whole morning. Now I'm on my way back home." She explained. "And what about the two of you? What are _you_ doing in this side of town?" she asked curiously.

Tifa was discreetly looking around, trying to spot spies and the paparazzi. She spotted one hiding behind trashcans. "Can we… discuss this someplace else?" she asked her friend.

Aerith blinked, realizing that she was being followed. "Geez. They never stop." She said. "Hop in." she told the two of them.

Tifa occupied the front passenger seat while Rufus sat at the back.

With that, Aerith stepped on the gas.

Rufus held on tight to his seat and grabbed the seatbelt. Tifa immediately grabbed the seatbelt and buckled up.

"Do you even have a license?" Rufus demanded in annoyance as he buckled up.

"I just graduated from driving school yesterday! Isn't that great?" Aerith answered cheerfully. "So, Tifa, what brought you here to Midgar? And I'm surprised you're hanging out with Rufus, of all people." She proceeded.

Tifa sat still, eyeing the road carefully. "Uh… we're classmates in school… and we're partners in our projects… and he's touring me around Midgar because I haven't been here before." She answered.

"Without bodyguards? I'm surprised your parents let you off like that, Rufus." Aerith remarked in amazement.

"Actually, we just escaped from Shinra. I'm sick of having bodyguards around." He answered, crossing his arms.

Aerith took a quick glance at Tifa and then turned her gaze back onto the road. "It's dangerous, Rufus. Shinra still has a lot of enemies. Are you aware of the number of death threats your father received regarding you?" she asked with a concerned look on her face.

"I'm completely aware of that even if they're not telling me about it." Rufus answered confidently. He hated the way his own parents would underestimate him. They are not aware that he is very capable of finding out information for himself even behind their backs.

"Looks like they underestimated you again, huh?" she asked, rolling her eyes.

Tifa could tell that, obviously, Aerith knows a lot of things going on around in Shinra. She also realized that Aerith knows about her secret duty: to serve as Rufus's bodyguard.

Aerith drove over to Sector 1. "And where shall I drop you two off?" she asked.

"The mall, if you may. I'm buying a gown for Tifa for the party tonight." Rufus answered proudly.

"Oooh. Lucky, lucky girl." Aerith teased her best friend.

Tifa pouted, blushing and frowning slightly. She looked away from Aerith. "Really, Rufus, I don't think it's necessary. It's your welcoming party so I think I'll just stay in my room." She told him.

"But I'm going to introduce you to everyone. I don't care what you say; you're coming with me to the party whether you like it or not." He said sternly.

"Don't be harsh on Tifa, Rufus. She's a very nice girl. Be easy on her. Remember she's new to those sorts of social gatherings." Aerith told him firmly. "And don't worry, Tifa. The key to those gatherings is to hang out with the right crowd." She added to her friend.

"In other words, stay by my side and don't join Aerith and her bratty friend Yuffie." Rufus chimed in, smiling slyly.

Aerith pouted. "Hmf." She grunted.

"Are you going to be there?" Tifa asked with a worried look on her face, looking at Aerith again.

"Of course I'll be there." Aerith answered. "Tell you what, I'll drop you guys off at Shinra now so that you can rest until the party starts. It's pretty dangerous right now to go to the mall. Word went around that you guys were spotted together in the Sector 1 Commercial Center. I'm sure a lot of people are already on the look-out for you in the whole Sector 1 area except in Shinra." She told them.

"Blimey. That really bites…" Tifa muttered.

"As for your gown, I know what your size is so I'll just buy one for you and send it over to Shinra." Aerith told her friend.

"No, we'll look for a gown online and have it shipped here immediately." Rufus said sternly.

Aerith grunted. "Why do you always like to contradict me?" she demanded, feeling offended.

"Because Tifa is my guest, not yours." He snapped.

Tifa felt like shrinking.

Aerith just smirked. "Oooh. You're getting territorial, Rufus. Come on, it's not as if I'm another boy who's trying to woo her away from you!" she teased.

Rufus just kept quiet, not wanting to have a childish argument with Aerith in front of Tifa. He simply hated the way she always had something to answer to his statements no matter how hard he tries to be sarcastic or cruel. So far it's just her and Sephiroth who seems to really know how he thinks and what he would say next, and they always know how to get back at him with a much wittier, more sarcastic and more smart-aleck answer or move… and maybe Tifa too, but he was not yet sure about that. He knows that she is an intelligent person based on his observation when they are working together or even while they are simply conversing about anything that interests them.

For the rest of the trip back to the Shinra HQ, Aerith and Tifa were the only ones talking, catching up with each other's lives. Rufus would get bored everytime Aerith was the one talking, but he caught himself paying attention to what Tifa has to say. When Aerith entered through the main gate of the Shinra HQ, Rufus removed the bandanna from his head and raked his fingers through his hair as if combing it.

She stopped the car by the front lobby door and the guards and SOLDIERs in that area eyed them curiously.

A SOLDIER instantly ran to them and opened the doors for Tifa and Rufus.

"Thank you, Aerith." Tifa said with a weak smile on her face as she got down from the car.

"You're always welcome." Aerith answered before turning her attention to three First Class SOLDIERs approaching them from inside the building.

"There you are!" Sephiroth announced, eyeing Tifa and Rufus.

"Where have you two been?" Zack asked with a worried look. "We thought you got into trouble." He added.

"Stop treating us like we're children who sneaked out from our rooms just to have fun." Rufus snapped impatiently.

"Well that's exactly what you did." Sephiroth told him sternly. "Your father wants to talk to you in his office. Tifa, you're coming with me for a while." He added.

Tifa's eyes widened, wondering if she was in trouble for letting Rufus do as he pleases, but she just stood still, pretending that nothing is wrong.

Rufus grunted before entering the building while being escorted by Zack.

Aerith was looking at the other SOLDIER with Zack and Sephiroth: Cloud Strife. She was smiling at him.

Cloud on the other hand, was too shy to say something to her. All he could do was stare at her, his blue eyes wide in confusion of what to say.

Sephiroth smirked at Cloud, then looked at Aerith. "We'll just see you later at the party." He said.

"Well then, I'd better go now." She answered with a smile before turning to Cloud again, waving goodbye.

Cloud was too shy to make a move that he just stood stiffly in his place and stared wide-eyed at her.

She smiled sweetly at him before driving off.

"Alright, Tifa. Follow me." Sephiroth told Tifa as he led the way inside the building.

Tifa nudged Cloud with her elbow, smiling teasingly at him. "You're still the same loser as ever! Make a move, Strife!" she teased.

He snapped back to his senses and eyed her in annoyance before following after her and Sephiroth.

oOoOo

Author's note: I got keyboard-happy for this chapter so sorry for making it too long. When I checked, it's like 17 pages. Haha.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

oOoOo

Tifa spent the rest of the afternoon with Rufus in his study after having briefed by Sephiroth and Vincent about her further assignments for Rufus, and interrogated because of their "escape" from Shinra. After shopping online for a gown, they spent the rest of their time together conversing. She wondered what they were even doing, talking about various things. She even met, for the first time, his pet Dark Nation, a big black panther-like animal.

Near sun-down, Tifa was just seated by the window with Dark Nation's head resting on her lap while Rufus checked his email in his desktop computer.

"How do you find my cat?" Rufus asked proudly with a smirk.

It was obvious to Tifa that he loved the cat dearly. She smiled. "She's very lucky to have you, and you're very lucky to have her." She remarked.

He switched off his PC and leaned back against his chair. He just looked at her, observing her quietly as she petted Dark Nation's head. They both heard the loud purring of the big cat.

"I had a pet cat when I was a little girl. I had her until I was 15." She narrated.

"What happened to your cat?" he asked.

She smiled sadly and stroked Dark Nation's black mane. "She went to the mountains and was never found again." she answered.

He looked away. He did not really know how to express his sympathies for other people no matter how close they are to him. He just decided to change the subject instead. "My father talked to me today." He began.

She looked at him quietly. He had a solemn look on his face but he did not say anything else. She tilted her head to the side. "Well? What did he tell you?" she asked.

He smiled smugly and just flipped his hair as he got up. "Come on, let's see if your gown has arrived." He answered as he went to the door.

Tifa decided not to ask about what he had talked about with his father anymore. "If I insist, I'll just make him angry." She thought silently as she and Dark Nation followed after him.

oOoOo

By 6pm, while Tifa was preparing for the party, after bathing, she was surprised to find Mrs. Shinra in her bedroom.

"Hello, dear." Mrs. Shinra greeted her pleasantly.

Tifa was relieved that she decided to wear a bathrobe instead of a towel; otherwise, she would be embarrassed in front of the First Lady. "Uhm… Good evening, Mrs. Shinra, ma'am." She greeted weakly.

Mrs. Shinra was already dressed in her black evening gown and her hair and makeup had been done too. "I see you're preparing for the party? Let me see your gown." She told Tifa gently firmly.

Tifa nodded before walking over to the bed, showing her gown that was spread across the bed together with its gloves, shawl, stockings and camisole.

Mrs. Shinra studied it carefully. It was black and made of expensive silken fabric. Its straps had very small diamonds sewn onto them and its flowy skirt had shiny sheer fabric over the silken one. "Did my son choose this for you?" she asked skeptically.

"I chose the gown myself; but I never knew he had those diamonds requested to be sewn onto the straps." Tifa answered shyly. Somehow, the presence of the First Lady intimidated her even though she knows how nice the older woman is.

Mrs. Shinra sighed heavily and smiled slightly. "That son of mine. Class and elegance would always matter to him." She said, contented. She turned to Tifa. "I like the design. You have eye for the same things that he adores. Maybe that's why you have good chemistry with him, and I'm happy about that." she explained with a pleased look on her face.

Tifa's eyes were wide, staring at the First Lady curiously. She did not know what to say.

Mrs. Shinra picked up the camisole and the stockings. "Well then, dearie, better run off to the bathroom and get dressed. I'll help you with the gown, I'll fix your hair and I'll even be glad to do your makeup." She said gently as she handed those things to Tifa.

Tifa got the camisole and the stockings. "I… think I can manage, thank you." She said shyly.

Mrs. Shinra shook her head. "No, dearie. I insist. This is Rufus's welcoming party and you are his honorable guest for tonight. I'm sure he would like you to be the most beautiful girl in the entire ballroom, more beautiful than any other female guests." She said proudly.

Tifa blushed upon hearing that. "How come she sounded like I'm already Rufus's girlfriend?" she was thinking quietly before smiling shyly. "Y…yes, ma'am." She said before going to the bathroom.

…

After fully getting dressed, Mrs. Shinra sat Tifa in front of the dresser and began to brush her hair. "Like I said, I'm sure my son wants you to be more beautiful tonight. I do to." She admitted.

Tifa was surprised. She felt embarrassed that the First Lady was even bothering to fix her up as if she was a doll.

The First Lady noticed her discomfort. "Are you alright, dearie?" she asked, concerned.

Tifa smiled weakly and swallowed hard. "I'm just nervous about tonight's party, that's all… I mean, I'm not really used to these sort of very formal gatherings." She admitted with a shaky tone.

Mrs. Shinra smiled gently at her as she began to put spray-on serum on Tifa's long black hair to make it shinier and lessen the frizz. "The atmosphere of the ballroom and the high-society people around you, plus the girls who will definitely envy you because you are close to Rufus might make you want to act like them. But you don't have to act like someone you're not. Just be yourself, dearie. No need to worry about what other people would think about you as long as you're comfortable with yourself and with who you are. You may even have the impulse to please everyone just to gain their approval. You don't have to do that. I'm sure my son likes having you around because you are unlike those other girls who try too hard to please people You, my dear, I deem, are true to yourself. Being around the rich and famous will take a little getting used to at first, but I know you're a smart girl; you can easily find your way around any crowd." She explained.

Tifa thought for a moment, taking into consideration what the First Lady had told her. She smiled at her. "You seem to know so much about dealing with people, Mrs. Shinra." She remarked.

Mrs. Shinra chuckled lightly. "Oh, I was once just like you, dear: A simple girl. I believe I still am. It was much harder for me during my time because I was a struggling theater actress from Nibelheim when I met my husband." She explained.

Tifa recalled that the First Lady's hometown is Nibelheim and that she is friends with her parents too. "My parents told me wonderful things about you. You're all friends from your childhood, right?" she asked.

"Oh yes, dearie." Mrs. Shinra told her.

Tifa fell silent, looking at the First Lady with a gentle smile on her face.

Mrs. Shinra smiled before making Tifa face her so that she could start applying the makeup on her face. "The natural look will do you good, so I'll be applying not too much." She told her.

Tifa smiled slightly. "I wonder why they call it _natural_ when you still have to put makeup on your face anyway." She said.

Mrs. Shinra laughed. "Well that is funny, dear." She remarked, realizing Tifa's point.

Halfway in applying makeup on Tifa's face, Mrs. Shinra asked her, "How do you find Rufus?"

Tifa was surprised by the question. "R…Rufus?" she repeated the name before answering, "He's been really nice. I never thought he'd be someone so different from everyone else in school. I realized how down-to-earth he really is when I got to know him better."

Mrs. Shinra noticed the blush forming on Tifa's cheeks. She smiled. "I guess I could be proud on how I raised him." She said proudly.

After applying the finishing touches, Mrs. Shinra made Tifa stand up and face the full-length mirror just beside the dresser so that she could take a good look at herself.

Tifa eyed her reflection with a look of awe on her face. "Whoa." She said breathlessly.

Mrs. Shinra stood behind Tifa placed her hands on the girl's shoulders, squeezing them gently. "You're a very beautiful young lady inside and out. You're like the daughter I never had." She said softly with a gentle look on her face.

Tifa smiled at the First Lady and faced her. "Thank you very much." She said.

Mrs. Shinra embraced her. "You're very welcome, dearie." She said softly. "I owe you a great deal for protecting my son and for being friends with him." She revealed.

Tifa breathed in, closing her eyes for a moment, thinking about Rufus. "You must love him dearly." She said.

Mrs. Shinra let her go and held her hand, squeezing them gently. She smiled gently at her. "Well then, it's time to go and meet Rufus. I suppose your parents are already in the ballroom by now." She said.

oOoOo

As soon as Tifa and Rufus entered the ballroom walking after the President and the First Lady, all eyes turned to them. Women immediately scrutinized Tifa with their envious and curious looks while the men eyed her as if she was the most wonderful creature they had ever seen.

Her right arm was hooked onto his left arm, and she moved closer to him as she bowed down her head, avoiding the scrutinizing stares of several upper-class strangers around her, while he kept his head held high and eyed the men looking at her with a proud but passive look on his face. "Relax, Tifa." He muttered through clenched jaw.

President Shinra walked towards the center of the ballroom with his wife, son and Tifa. "Everybody, I would like all of you to welcome my son. He just arrived home this morning from Junon." He announced proudly.

Everybody applauded.

Rufus tried his best to stop himself from rolling his eyes in sarcasm. "I feel silly," he muttered to Tifa.

"Well I feel sillier." She muttered back, trying to keep her gaze on the floor.

President Shinra raised his hands to silence everyone. "Also, please welcome my son's honorable and beautiful guest. Miss Tifa Lockhart." He announced.

Tifa wanted to shrink as the people applauded for her this time. "I know they don't like me, Rufus." She muttered to him.

"Just fake a smile and nod in gratitude." He muttered.

She smiled weakly but shyly and took a quick glance at everyone in the room.

After further introductions and announcements done by the President, classical music began to play again and Rufus led Tifa to a corner of the ballroom where his friends were waiting.

Tifa saw Sephiroth, Cloud and Zack eyeing them in amazement; she also noticed that the three were wearing black suits.

"Whoa. Lookin' good, you two!" Zack complimented.

Tifa just smiled shyly.

"You were too stiff back there, Tifa." Cloud told her.

"Well you should've been Rufus's guest instead so that you'll know how it feels like to be in the spotlight." She answered rather haughtily.

"It's alright to feel that way. You'll get used to it." Rufus told her with a reassuring tone before turning to Sephiroth. "Any after-party plans?" he asked.

Sephiroth smirked. "Finally you've come to your senses!" he said.

"Just make sure it's a classy bar." Rufus told him.

Sephiroth grunted. "You're such a spoilsport." He said.

"Well I'm taking Tifa with us. I'd like to show her what the nightlife in _Sector _1 Midgar is like." Rufus answered, giving him a hint on what bar he would like to go to.

Sephiroth rolled his eyes. "Fine. The Penthouse Bar at the Emerald Hotel just a couple of blocks away you want, you'll get." He said before pulling out his mobile phone to start making reservations.

"Splendid." Rufus said, smirking before turning to Aerith and Yuffie who were approaching them.

Tifa smiled at Aerith. "You're here!" she said happily.

Aerith smiled sweetly at her best friend. "Tifa, I'd like you to meet Yuffie Kisaragi. She's the Princess of Wutai." She introduced.

Yuffie offered a handshake and smiled nicely at Tifa. "So pleased to meet you!" she said cheerfully.

Tifa smiled, sensing that she is going to be good friends with Yuffie too. "Same here." She said as they shook hands.

"Would you like to join me and Yuffie over there by the buffet table?" Aerith asked.

Before Tifa could answer, Rufus already spoke up, "Pardon me, ladies, but Tifa is my guest."

"So, what's your point?" Yuffie asked airily before snatching Tifa away from him. "We would just like to borrow your guest so that we could socialize with her!" she said before dragging Tifa with her, following after Aerith.

Rufus grunted, watching as Tifa went with Yuffie and Aerith.

"Come on, let her be with the girls. She needs new friends," Zack said, nudging him before turning to Cloud, "Right, Cloud?" he asked cheerfully.

Cloud just stood still; his other friends could tell that he is eyeing Aerith.

"Somebody make a move for him." Rufus muttered, looking at Cloud glumly before turning his gaze to Tifa who was chatting gaily with Yuffie and Aerith.

For the rest of the hour, he just observed her as he stayed in one corner with his own group of friends pretending to be interested in the topics being discussed by Sephiroth, Zack and Cloud about various things that interest them. He also wondered who the older adults approaching Tifa were, but judging from the facial features of both adults combined, Rufus realized that those were Tifa's parents. He wondered what they were doing at the party, until he saw his own mother approaching the Lockhart family who were so happy to have seen one another once again after how many months of being apart.

"My mother knows her parents?" Rufus asked out loud in awe as he eyed the way his mother socialized with her parents, as if they had been friends for a very long time already.

Sephiroth, Zack and Cloud all turned their attention to the First Lady and Tifa's family.

"What are they doing here?" Cloud asked in confusion.

"Beats me…" Zack answered, shrugging.

Sephiroth just kept quiet, observing Rufus with a skeptical look on his face.

Aerith and Yuffie excused themselves from Mrs. Shinra and the Lockharts before going to Sephiroth, Zack and Cloud.

Rufus breathed in and ignored the presence of the two girls as he made his way to his mother and Tifa's parents.

Aerith and Yuffie turned around to look at Rufus as soon as they reached the boys. "There he goes." The former said in a singsong voice.

Sephiroth smirked. "Just keep your mouth shut, ladies." He said.

Just when Rufus finally reached Tifa's side and flashed a friendly smile to her parents while greeting them, the lights flickered and then the electricity died.

The guests wondered what was going on, but the SOLDIERs and the Turks in the area could already sense trouble.

As for Tifa, she moved closer to Rufus.

"What's going on?" they all heard President Shinra call out.

"Power failure?"

"Don't be ridiculous."

"How could this be?"

"What happened to the backup generator?"

The guests began to talk about what happened, until they heard explosions coming from the doorway, plus gunshots.

People became alarmed and some even screamed.

Sephiroth squinted, being able to see in the dark because of the Mako and JENOVA in his genes, eyeing the perpetrators entering from the balcony doors and the ballroom doors. The other SOLDIERs had been harmed, the Turks were trying to fight off the rest of the enemies, while the rest of the intruders were beginning to find their way into the ballroom as if looking for someone. With that, he instantly ran towards Rufus and Tifa.

Tifa grabbed hold of Rufus's wrist. "Rufus, we have to get out of here." She said.

"What?" he inquired in confusion.

"Now!" Sephiroth snapped at Rufus and Tifa.

It was a signal for Tifa to run with Rufus while Sephiroth them up, running from behind them.

"What is going on?" Rufus demanded as they made their way through the dim hallway with only emergency lamps hanging on the walls serving as their light.

"Rebel attack. We have to get you out of here." Sephiroth told him.

"What about my parents?" Rufus asked, worrying about the safety of his parents.

"My dad and the Turks are doing their job. Right now, we have to get you out of here." Sephiroth told him.

"Did you know anything about this?" Rufus demanded.

"Sort of. Some rebel faction sent a note this morning that they're going to attack tonight during your party and kidnap you." Sephiroth answered.

"What? Why didn't you inform me?" Rufus demanded in annoyance.

"Well you were busily painting the town red with Tifa." Sephiroth answered. "And you were basically enjoying yourselves, we couldn't spoil your fun!" he added.

Tifa could sense that Rufus was about to say something harsh to Sephiroth so she already told him, "Rufus, now isn't the right time to start a fight with Sephiroth."

They stopped in their tracks when 7 goons blocked their way.

Tifa moved much closer to Rufus and she eyed the goons threateningly. "Out of our way." She said with a low and threatening tone.

Rufus was surprised with her sudden aggression.

Sephiroth brought out his Masamune. "Listen to the lady." He said with a low voice before quickly slashing the goons.

Their blood splashed against Rufus's white tuxedo, staining it, but Rufus did not seem to mind. He was beginning to get confused.

"Go! I'll hold them back!" Sephiroth told Tifa when he saw more of them approaching.

With that, Tifa dragged Rufus with her. SOLDIERs were following after them as if securing the area were they were supposed to go.

Rufus could hear some SOLDIERs communicating with their squad leaders through their two-way radios as he and Tifa continued to run along the hallway until they reached the emergency stairs. They quickly made their way to the hidden garage, with SOLDIERs still securing them.

They reached one of the cars and Cloud was already inside in the driver's seat.

Tifa opened the door to the back passenger seat for Rufus and shoved him inside.

Rufus looked at Tifa surprisingly and was about to move aside to give room for her to sit, but he froze when she shut the door without even coming in.

Cloud instantly started the engine.

"Wait! Tifa is…" Rufus began, but he trailed off when he saw her bring out a two-way radio and heard her communicating with Sephiroth. "Secure." She said.

"No time for that, boss!" Cloud said as the garage door opened and he drove off with Rufus in the fastest speed possible to get away from the Shinra HQ.

Rufus was stunned. He felt the blood draining from his face as he stared at Cloud with a devastated look on his face. But he could not speak.

Cloud took a quick glance at Rufus from the rearview mirror and saw the look on his face, but he did not say anything. Like Sephiroth, Zack, Aerith, Yuffie and Vincent, he was one of those who knew about Tifa being hired by the First Lady through her parents to serve as a secret bodyguard for Rufus. Tifa agreed to take the job so that she could help her parents with financial matters.

Rufus could tell that Cloud was wondering what he was thinking, but he could not think of what to say. "Did you know about this?" he asked his friend with a stiff tone.

Cloud was quiet for a moment before answering, "I'm not in the position to answer that."

Rufus clenched his fists. "Will you please pretend that I am not your boss for this moment and just talk to me as a friend?" he demanded.

Cloud took a deep breath before answering, "Yes, I knew it all along."

"But why keep it from me?" Rufus asked with a frown on his face.

Cloud widened his eyes. "You knew it all along too, didn't you?" he asked.

"I had doubts about it but now I know I'm right all along. I've known it ever since this afternoon when we got attacked by three hooligans in Sector 3." Rufus answered.

"You were the one who wanted only _one_ bodyguard, remember? Your parents were only concerned about your safety that's why your mom talked to Mr. and Mrs. Lockhart who happen to be her friends. The Lockharts presented their daughter to your mom and dad as a capable undercover bodyguard for you to repay your family's kindness to theirs." Cloud told him as he continued to drive.

Rufus took a deep breath, eyeing his friend with a frustrated look on his face. He just kept quiet, thinking of what to do with Tifa and his parents. He is just so angry at that moment but confusion made him unable to think of a solution to his dilemma. He felt betrayed because his friends kept secrets from him; his parents were doing things behind his back, and he is now unsure whether the friendship he had with Tifa was genuine or not. "She could've just pretended to like me and appreciate me just so that she could do her job." He did not realize that he had mentioned that out loud.

Cloud took a quick glance at him through the rearview mirror again before turning his attention back to the road. He pretended not to have heard anything as he continued to drive, speeding up as they neared the highway to Kalm.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

oOoOo

The commotion ceased by midnight when the SOLDIERs and Turks finally got the situation under control. They've arrested the rebels and much to their delight, caught the leader of the rebels as well.

Electricity has been restored to the Shinra HQ and the injured guests had been taken to the hospital for proper treatment.

The President and the First Lady had been taken to the 70th floor's balcony where a helicopter ready to take them to Junon was waiting. Tifa, Sephiroth and Zack were with them.

During the flight to Junon, Tifa had a disturbed look on her face. She was just staring out the window while she remained seated before the First Couple.

Mrs. Shinra was looking at her curiously with a concerned look on her face.

President Shinra, on the other hand, was making calls to Vincent regarding the safety of his son, and to his close friends present in the party, apologizing for what happened.

Zack was piloting the chopper while Sephiroth continued to communicate with the Turks in Junon to inform them of their arrival.

"Dearie, are you alright?" Mrs. Shinra asked, interrupting Tifa's thoughts.

Tifa jumped slightly out of surprise. Her eyes were wide as she turned her attention to the First Lady.

The First Lady smiled at her reassuringly, "Your parents are okay. I made sure of that." she told her.

Tifa smiled bitterly and nodded before looking away. "I'm … worried about Rufus." She said softly.

"He's being transported to Nibelheim to the Shinra Mansion. He'll be staying there until further notice." Mrs. Shinra answered.

President Shinra hung up from his latest call. "I was trying to contact Rufus, he's not responding." He muttered miserably.

Tifa breathed in, wishing she could really say what's on her mind, but she did not want any opinions raised by the President and the First Lady so she just kept quiet.

"Sephiroth, fly over to Nibelheim first. We'll drop off Tifa there and we'll head to Junon." President Shinra instructed.

"Yessir," Sephiroth answered as he swerved to change the route. Zack began to contact Junon regarding the change of plans.

"Really, dear, is this necessary? Cloud is with Rufus; and Nibelheim is practically a safe place!" Mrs. Shinra told her husband with a slight frown on her face.

"I can't stand the thought of Rufus without Tifa. Surely she has done a great job!" he answered with a proud look on his face while looking at Tifa. "I know you could become a great Turk. Why didn't you join SOLDIER, young lady?" he asked.

Tifa smiled weakly. "Uh… no, I don't think so." She said softly.

"Well even without training from SOLDIER, you've been a great bodyguard." President Shinra told her reassuringly.

Tifa just bowed down her head and pursed her lips. She wanted to shrink. For the rest of the flight, she remained quiet in her seat, wondering how she was going to explain herself to Rufus.

As soon as Sephiroth landed the helicopter on the helipad at the backyard of the Shinra Mansion, Zack gave Tifa instructions to keep in touch with Sephiroth and Vincent regarding Rufus's situation.

When the chopper left after the First Couple had exchanged goodbyes with Tifa, she found herself alone in the mansion's backyard. She sighed heavily before going to the back door and opened it. She found herself in the kitchen and there was a maid waiting in that area. "You must be Miss Lockhart." The maid said, curtsying.

Tifa just smiled faintly, feeling uneasy. "Yes, I am. Has the Vice President arrived yet?" she asked.

"Not yet, ma'am. But we received word from Mr. Strife that they'll be arriving in 2 hours." The maid answered. "In the meantime, let me show you to your room." She added, leading the way.

Tifa was brought to her room, and the maid explained that there is a connecting door to Rufus's. When the maid left her, she just remained standing by the bed, staring into empty space with a troubled look on her face.

"2 hours…" she said softly. She figured that she could think of what to say to him while waiting. Carefully, she explored the room until she came across the door connecting her bedroom to Rufus's. She opened it, surprised that it was not even unlocked. She stepped into his room and was overwhelmed by its size and color scheme. It was larger than her room, and it had white walls with black borders and maroon carpeting on the floor. His things were neatly organized and she supposed that if she opened his closet and drawers, she would find that the clothes and everything else are arranged neatly in an orderly fashion.

She walked over to the window and took a look outside. She could basically see her house from there. She smiled, suddenly finding herself reminiscing of the past and wondering if Rufus even saw her as a child. She also recalled when she would see Rufus peering through that window, watching her and the other neighborhood kids play and he had an envious look on his face.

More memories from her childhood flooded her memory as she remained standing by the window. She did not realize how much time had passed since she came to that window and started reminiscing until she heard the door open. Her brown eyes widened as she turned around. Rufus was standing by the doorway still dressed in his bloodstained clothes. Cloud was standing behind him and both of them were staring at Tifa curiously; however, Rufus was the one with the hard look on his face.

Cloud stepped away. "I should phone HQ about your arrival." He told Rufus before leaving the two of them alone.

Tifa breathed in, forcing a smile. "I'm glad you're alright." She said with a voice that seemed to have faltered in the end. For Rufus, it sounded like a choke. He shut the door and moved towards the dresser as if she was not even there. He began to undo the bowtie of his tuxedo.

She swallowed hard and approached him. "Look, I know I owe you an explanation but please don't act so cold towards me…" she began.

"I don't need to hear anything for now. I already knew about it this afternoon when we were attacked by the hooligans in Sector 3." He explained stiffly as he removed his blazer and just dropped it carelessly on the floor before moving on to his vest.

Tifa could tell that he was feeling unpleasant… close to very angry with her, because he would usually be neat with his things, but then at that moment, he just dropped his dirty blazer onto the floor. Without saying a word, she just ran over to it and picked it up and upon seeing the clothes hamper by the bathroom door, she threw it inside.

Yet she could not stand the silence. "I'm sorry if I didn't tell you. I couldn't. I did this for my parents… and for your mother as well. She's so nice to us and…" she trailed off, realizing that she could be making things worse around the two of them. "I'm sorry." She whispered, her look softening. She was suddenly afraid of him because she has not seen him acting like that before. She could feel that he is very angry but he is not saying anything. His silence made her feel further insecure about his feelings.

He removed his shoes and put on a pair of his bedroom slippers made of silk and satin. He was still thinking of what to say to her, on how he could tell her what he really feels; however, he was never really good with words whenever the issue has inner emotions involved.

Giving up, Tifa went over to the door connecting his room to hers. "Well fine, you don't want to talk, that's alright. I'll just quit this job now. But just so you know, I'm just glad to have ever been friends with someone like you." She said bitterly as she stepped back inside her room and shut the door.

Rufus just stood still, eyeing his own reflection in the mirror. He felt bad about himself but the look on his face remained stoic as usual. "Better do something if you don't want to lose her." He told himself sternly before taking a deep breath and went over to the door connecting his room with hers. He did not even knock; he just opened it and barged in, "Tifa, I…" he trailed off when he saw her dressed only in a black camisole. His eyes widened in bewilderment as he gaped at her.

Tifa, on the other hand, was on her way to the bathroom when the door connecting their rooms just burst open. She turned around to see who it was and she gasped and stepped backward when she saw Rufus gaping at her almost-nude form. "Blimey! Don't you know how to knock?" she demanded in annoyance before rushing inside the bathroom to lock herself up in there until he leaves.

But Rufus could not move. He just stood there, frozen in his spot, trying to comprehend the situation as it slowly sank into his consciousness. "Shit." He thought. His left eyebrow twitched as he turned around to go back to his own room.

From inside the bathroom, Tifa was just leaning against the door with her arms crossed while she listened for any sound that could be coming from her room. When she heard a door close, she breathed in and sighed in relief.

Meanwhile, in Rufus's room, he was using the intercom to call on Cloud.

Cloud answered rather grumpily. Rufus could tell that he had already fallen asleep but had woken up because of the intercom's sound. "Could you come to my room? I need assistance." Rufus told him.

"What is it this time? You found a cockroach in your bathroom?" Cloud asked sarcastically.

"Hah hah. Very funny, Strife." Rufus answered in sarcasm to get back on him.

Cloud hung up and in less than a minute, he entered Rufus Shinra's room.

"That was quick." Rufus remarked.

"My room is just across yours, remember?" Cloud asked as he crossed his arms. "And what is your pressing concern this time?" he asked as he yawned.

"It's Tifa." Rufus answered.

Cloud blinked. Suddenly he was completely awake. It was the first time Rufus has raised an issue regarding a girl. "I'm listening." He said as he took a seat on a couch by the window.

Rufus went to his dresser, faced the mirror and raked his fingers through his hair. "You know what's wrong. Now how do I apologize?" he asked.

Cloud eyed him in disbelief. "I have no idea!" he answered.

"Why not?" Rufus asked.

"Because it's Tifa!" Cloud answered.

"So what if it's Tifa? Is she a difficult person to talk to?" Rufus asked.

"Well for me, yes, I don't know about you." Cloud answered, looking away with a frown on his face. "And you woke me up for this? I gotta get some sleep, man." He said in frustration.

Rufus looked at him with a scrutinizing stare. "So you can't help me?" he asked.

"It's _Tifa_, alright? You know her more than I do, so use that knowledge to…uh… _manipulate_ her mind like what you used to do with other people." Cloud answered half-heartedly.

Rufus's eyes widened at him. "Manipulate? How could you say such a thing?" he demanded.

"I can't think of another word." Cloud answered lazily as he yawned again.

Rufus grunted, feeling offended. "Is that how you think of me? Like how others see me?" he asked.

Cloud scratched his head. "The problem with you is that you're so obsessive-compulsive that you want things done quickly and in an organized ways. This is a relationship problem you're having with your girlfriend and I don't know what's really going on between the two of you and I don't want to give you any advice, because I might make things worse. Believe me, Rufus, you'll think of something. You can't always fix things in a day. Sometimes, you'll have to wait. Good night, Rufus." He said as he got up and left.

Rufus just stood still, thinking things through. He never thought that Cloud could say something like that to him, but he realized that maybe his friend was lacking sleep and was already getting cranky. With that, he went to the bathroom to freshen up and change into his pajamas. After spending almost 30 minutes in the bathroom, he went over to the door connecting his room with Tifa's. He inhaled deeply, held his breath for a moment, and then exhaled, maintaining a stoic expression on his face. He then grabbed the doorknob, slowly turned it, and pushed the door open. "Tifa." He said stiffly.

Tifa was already on the bed, ready to fall asleep, when Rufus barged in. "Now I remember what I forgot to do: lock that door." She was thinking miserably.

He went to her side.

"Whatever it is, I need to rest and wake up early to inform Mr. Valentine my resignation." She told him.

"You can't resign. How are you going to continue your studies?" the words just seemed to have flowed out from his mouth.

"I can just delay myself and enroll in a state college. I can manage." She answered grumpily.

"What about our projects?" he demanded.

She smiled sweetly at him, yet she had an air of sarcasm around her. "You're a very experienced businessman, Rufus, I'm sure you can get the highest grades and be the valedictorian of your graduating class." She said before lying down, turning to the other side so that she could not look at him anymore.

"You have to stay, Tifa. Remember, you owe my family a lot of things." He said haughtily, crossing his arms as he sat down on the bed.

She felt her heart sinking. "Oh damn. I forgot about that…" she thought silently.

"You just can't back-out now. My mother and father are counting on you to protect me. And we have a business to put up." He answered.

"So is this like a lifetime contract?" she demanded.

"Yes, I think so. If you're my personal bodyguard, you'll have to be around me. And you can't quit because if you do, you'll be disappointing your parents and my parents too." he told her, rolling his eyes as his lips curled into a sly smile. He was so satisfied with himself, yet he felt that making her feel guilty would only make things worse. But it was the only way he could think of to make her stay; besides, it was one of his techniques to make people do what he wanted them to do and he has been doing that ever since he was a little boy.

She sat up and faced him, smiling faintly at him. "Rufus Shinra. Don't think you can win me over by guilt-tripping me." She said.

Rufus sat still, narrowing his eyes at her. How did she know?

She breathed deeply. "Look, I'm so sorry if I didn't tell you. But if I had the chance, I would've told you sooner. I didn't think it would come to the point wherein there'd have to be an emergency situation for you to verify what you already suspected in the first place." She told him. It took a lot of effort and courage for her to speak up to Rufus like that, and while explaining to him, she thought that it was a nerve-wrecking experience.

They just stared at each other for a few moments before Rufus took the initiative to look away and pretend that he was not affected by what she said; even though deep inside, he was thankful that he was not the one who needed to apologize… well, for the moment anyway, because suddenly, he felt guilty for treating her badly moments ago. Yet he did not know what to say.

"You don't have to say anything." She said softly, as if knowing what he was reflecting on. She bowed down her head, smiling faintly. "I understand if you're upset. I guess it's really my fault. Although I'm not sure if making up for it would mean that I should stay around you against my will." She looked up at him again. "So I guess I'll have to forgive you for that and I hope you'll forgive me too. I know you understand." She said softly.

Rufus looked at her and kept his gaze into her eyes and the look on her face. He saw the sincerity in her eyes and wondered why it was making him feel as if his heart had skipped a beat and then started to sink down to his belly. He breathed in, keeping a straight face and then moved closer to her.

She froze when she just realized that he was already embracing her, pressing her tightly against him. She held her breath for a moment, thinking if she was in a parallel universe and he was starting to act strange.

Rufus never said anything; although he would want to verbally apologize, he could not bring himself to blurt out words of sorry. He just hoped that Tifa is sensitive enough to realize it from his actions.

She smiled gently and slowly wrapped his arms around him, because for some reason, to her, it just felt so right.

Rufus released and faced her with a poker-faced expression on his face. He wished he could express more of his emotions to her through the look on his face, but he was too insecure at the moment.

Just then, Tifa hesitated for a moment, but emotions took the best of her. She leaned forward towards him and pressed her lips against his in a gentle manner. But she did not want to see how he would look like, so she closed her eyes to just feel and cherish the moment.

Rufus's eyes, on the other hand, widened in awe, and he thought that his heart stopped for a moment; but he found himself slowly closing his eyes and wrapping his arms around her once more to bring her closer to him. Tifa was surprised when she realized that he had begun to return her kiss, and this time, prolonging it as if not wanting the moment to end. She suppressed a smile as she returned his embrace, wrapping her arms tightly around him.

Both were foreign to those strange feelings circling around them in the room, but they continued to kiss until someone just barged in. "Tifa, the First Lady called, she's asking if…"

The two froze when they recognized the voice. It was Cloud Strife.

They slowly turned to him; Tifa eyed him in surprise, while Rufus glared at him rather annoyingly because he deemed that his friend interrupted their moment.

Cloud cleared his throat.

"Yes, Cloud?" Tifa asked, trying to sound casual as she moved away from Rufus while refusing to make eye contact with Cloud.

"Uh…" Cloud was fighting the urge to smile and tease the two. "Mrs. Shinra called and she's asking if you're feeling okay. She says she'll call you by noontime." He told her.

Silence.

"Good. Are you finished now?" Rufus asked.

Cloud smirked. "Hell yeah." He said before eyeing the two of them with a mean look in his eyes. They could tell that he would be spreading the news to his other closest friends.

"I'll kill you if Sephiroth finds out about this, you…" Tifa began in annoyance, eyeing Cloud warningly.

Cloud raised his eyebrows at her. "Well you can definitely read minds!" he said sarcastically.

"Just get out of here. We'll talk in the morning." Rufus told him.

Cloud shrugged. "Sure, whatever. I just hope the two of you don't make too much noise enough to wake up the dead." He told them with a slight smile on his face before exiting the room.

Tifa got out of bed and took a deep breath, feeling so embarrassed. "Rufus, I think you should go back to your room." She said.

He blinked. "What? Why?"

"I am… not supposed to…" she began.

"Says who?" he asked as he got her hand and pulled her back to the bed.

She fell back on the bed, with her head on the pillow, and Rufus laid himself beside her. "If you're afraid of what people will say about the two of us being together, I'm telling you now that you don't have anything to worry about." He said softly with a reassuring tone. He had a faint smile on his face.

She stared at him for a moment, keeping her gaze into his blue eyes. She has never seen him looking so sincere at her like in that moment before. She smiled and nodded.

He moved closer to her to plant a kiss on her lips to silence her when he realized that she was going to say something else. He just wanted silence around them because in silence, they had always been able to understand each other much better. He wrapped an arm around her and pulled her closer to him. "Good night, Tifa." He said softly.

She breathed in his scent, relishing it in her senses. Who would have known that they both had been suppressing feelings for each other for a long time already? Especially in Tifa's case, wherein she had been secretly admiring Rufus Shinra ever since she was a little girl. In her childhood, she had always thought of him as a Prince, and she would imagine herself to be a Princess destined to be with him someday. Now everything seems to have fallen into place and she felt contented to be with him at the moment. "I love you." She just blurted out softly. She wanted to tell him about her fantasies about the two of them as a child, but she decided to save that for another time. She was already beginning to feel drowsy, so was he, and to sum up all her thoughts, she just decided to say those three words to him.

He smiled, pleased with himself and the fact that she was with him.

15 minutes before 3 in the morning, they had fallen asleep in each other's arms.

oOoOo

Author's Note: ugh… I think it ended so soon. Haha.


End file.
